Down And Out
by Tallulah Grammar Songstress
Summary: A nasty affair results in Cube being kicked out of the GGs. But that's only the beginning... soon, not only Onishima, but a Love Shocker with a murderous grudge, are on the rudies' trail! GumxBeat and other pairings.
1. Falling For Cube

Chapter 01 - Falling for Cube  
  
(Disclaimer - none of these characters belong to me, they belong to Sega, blah, blah. If you disagree with the couples I've created or the content, say so in your review. Nicely. Thanx!)  
  
Beat kissed Gum right on the lips, and then grinned. "I never get tired of that."  
Gum giggled. "Me neither. You will be careful, won't you?"  
"Give me a break. I'm always careful. Besides, you're starting to sound like we're married or something."  
Gum looked at him, blue eyes serious for a moment. "Beat, I mean it. I don't want to hear tonight that you got blown up or arrested or anything..."  
"I'm a GG. Something always happens to us, have you noticed that?" Beat kissed her again. "I'll be fine."   
What he liked about going out with Gum was that when they were alone she dropped her wise-girl-smart-bitch act, and let herself be vulnerable. In Beat's opinion, this made her even more attractive.  
"We'd better get moving. You're hitting Kogane-cho with Tab, I'm off to Benten with Cube."  
"I know, I know." Gum picked up her spray paint. "Let's roll."  
  
A hour later, Cube and Beat were dashing down the main street of Benten-cho, with Police Chief Onishima, a tank, and several paratroopers in hot pursuit.  
"You'd think..." gasped Beat, whose lungs were beginning to complain, "That he'd...get tired of this...by now...huh?"  
"He never gets tired," Cube said. "Chasing us is his reason for being. Quick, in here!"  
She dragged him through a doorway on their right, and up a staircase lit by dying neon lights, higher and higher. Two flights. Three flights. Four. As they ran, Beat heard Onishima calling the others, and footsteps starting up the steps after them.  
"I hope he doesn't try and bring the tank in here," he reflected. Five flights. Six flights.  
Cube stopped, and wrenched open a door with Janitor written on it in fading letters. "Quick, get in."  
They wriggled into the cupboard and pulled the door shut. Beat felt a bucket digging into the back of his legs. Cube's face was calm as she listened to the sounds outside.   
Onishima's feet clattered on the concrete floor outside as he yelled, "They must've gone up on the roof. Move it!"  
Slowly the sounds of the police faded away.  
"Wait a bit," Cube whispered.   
Beat blinked in the darkness. He could hear something. A groaning, cracking noise...  
"Cube?" he began.  
And then the floor collapsed.  
  
Beat fell into the darkness. At last he struck something solid with a jarring crash that went right through him. Coughing and spitting out dust, he called "Cube? Are you okay?"  
There was a groan off to his right, and she muttered, "So maybe I do need to lose weight..."  
Beat breathed a sigh of relief. If she was able to joke she was alive at least.   
"I thought the floor was concrete," he said.   
"I guess the cupboard was wood or something. Anyway, doesn't look like it was used to being stood in. Why've we stopped falling?"  
"Hey, don't knock it." Beat squinted. As the dark started to dilute, he made out Cube's face, streaked with dust. They were sitting by opposite walls, on another wooden floor - though this one seemed more solid - but near the middle he made out a large black hole.  
"Uh-oh. Looks like all these floors are kinda unstable."  
"Including the one we're sitting on?"  
"I wish you hadn't said that." Beat touched the wall he was leaning against. The feel of wood against his fingers made him groan.   
"I think this is a sort of extension." Cube was touching the opposite side of the room. "This wall's concrete - it must back on to the main building. But this doesn't look like it's been used for ages."  
"I'll try and get over to you," Beat said, getting to his feet.  
He stepped forward. A board dipped beneath him, and he felt his foot drop. Heart pounding, he sank back down. "Looks like we're stuck."  
"Do - do you think the others'll be able to find us?"  
"Well, they knew we were coming to Benten-cho. Surely they'll figure it out eventually..."  
Cube looked up at the dim light from the door of the cupboard above them. "I hope so."  
Suddenly, echoing down from above, they heard Onishima shout out in triumph. "Hey, get over here! Someone's opened the cupboard - they must be hiding in it!"  
Footsteps. Then the door was flung open - more light illuminated their faces, and Onishima yelled "Gotcha - what the hell?"  
"Looks like the floor's collapsed," another cop said.  
Beat found he had stopped breathing, and took a deep silent mouthful of air.   
"Well, if they were in there they're not our problem any more. Let's go."  
And he slammed the cupboard behind him, cutting off the light.   
More bits of floor showered down on them, one catching Beat on the head. He felt blood running past his eye and cursed.   
"Beat..." Cube's voice carried the edge of panic. "The boards are starting to move...I - I think they're going to break..."  
"Hang on." He began to crawl towards her. Sometimes a board wobbled or groaned under his knees, but he eventually reached her.   
"Are they still moving?"  
"Yes..."  
There was a snapping sound. She screamed. Beat threw himself forward. His hand grabbed her wrist.   
He lay on his stomach, clutching her arm, while she hung over the gap.  
"How far do you reckon it is down there?" she said at last, voice very quiet.  
"Don't know." Cube wasn't very tall, but she was surprisingly heavy when he was trying to drag her up by one arm. It was making his shoulder ache.   
"How long can you hold on?"  
"Don't know that either...I'll try for as long as I can..."  
  
Gum paced the garage, ignoring the glances of the other GGs. Where was Beat? All the others had got back ages ago. Something had to have happened. Beat wasn't always the first back, but he didn't like being the last. Today the latest person back had been Mew, and that had been an hour ago.  
"You sure you didn't see them?" she asked Piranha.  
"Nope. We got a little cop trouble towards the end, but I never saw them in Benten-cho at all."  
Gum swallowed back the fear she was feeling. "Could they've been arrested?"  
"Well, Onishima didn't seem any happier than usual, so I'd say no." Piranha looked at the other girl's tense face. "I'm sure they're okay, Gum. He and Cube probably just popped into a party or something."  
I'll kill them if they have, thought Gum, but at least they'd be safe.  
  
Beat grabbed Cube's other arm, but he still couldn't pull her up. "There's nothing you could push yourself up on?"  
"No." Cube sounded painfully calm. "I wonder how far it is to drop..."  
Beat stared into the hole, darker than anything else around them. "Don't try and find out."   
"I think that may not be an option. I'm sinking -"   
Her arm slipped a little from his grip. Beat tried to hold on, but his hand was damp with sweat. He realised soon she was going to fall. The thought made him angry. He should be able to keep her up...  
Now they were only gripping fingers. Her eyes were like ink blots as she stared into his, and then she closed them -   
– And then she fell.  
  
To her horror, Gum felt tears tickling her eyes. She couldn't cry now. She'd founded the GGs. She was tough. She was not crying.  
"I'm going out to look for them," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Anyone coming?"  
"I will," Combo said.   
"And me." Tab got to his feet.  
"Count me in!" Mew giggled.  
"Right." Gum swallowed. She was not crying. Okay? "Let's go."  
  
"Cube!" Beat yelled, staring into the blackness. "Cube, are you okay?"  
"Uhhh...kind of..."  
Beat squinted, but he couldn't see anything. "How far did you fall?"  
"Not that far...a floor or two..."  
Could he get down there? Beat considered it. He should really go down and help her; she was a GG after all.   
"D'you reckon I could jump down?"  
"You could try..." She sounded a little more positive. "Hang by your fingers, then let go."  
Beat edged himself into the hole, feeling the boards wobble underneath his fingers. His stomach lurched, and he closed his eyes. When he felt his arms begin to ache, he dropped.  
He landed and felt his ankle click, and pain zigzagged up his leg to go with the stinging cut on his face. Looking around, he saw Cube, one leg twisted oddly sideways. Her face was even whiter than usual with pain. As he limped over to her, she gave him a grin, but it was forced.  
"Are you okay?" she asked.  
"I'm fine." Beat carefully sat down next to her. "Have we reached the ground yet?"  
She shrugged. Beat shivered. For the first time he noticed how cold it was in here. And the air tasted of dust and mould. He wondered if they'd ever be found. If they weren't, they would die in here. At that thought it felt like someone had dropped a bucketful of ice into his stomach.  
Suddenly there was a crash from outside which shook the walls. Beat glanced up, and saw planks hurtling towards them. Instinctively he grabbed Cube, trying to shield her from them. Then something slammed into his head, and the darkness became darker.   
  
Gum walked away from the car that had just banged into the side of a tall building, ignoring the driver who leapt from his seat, yelling at her. It wasn't her fault he'd decided to try and run her down. She'd jumped out of the way, that was all.  
"Nice going," sneered Mew. "Get the cops on us, why don't you?"  
Gum ignored her. "Right, where do we look?"  
"I'll check the main roads," Combo said.   
"I'll do the station!" said Mew.  
"I'll head up to the roofs." Tab pushed back his bobble hat.  
"Then I'll just scout round the streets," Gum said. "We'll meet back here in one hour, and if no one's found anything..."  
"We'll have found them," Combo said. "Let's go."  
Gum heard clattering from inside the building the car had just crashed into. Oops. Looked like the collision had caused a landslide. Oh, well. It looked pretty empty. She skated away down the street.  
  
Coloured lights were flickering behind Beat's eyes, and his head felt like a football. He blinked, and blinked again, and slowly the lights faded into the blackness. "Ouch."  
"Beat? Beat, can you hear me?"  
"I think so. Are you okay?"  
"Not really. My leg appears to be broken...on closer inspection - yep, it's broken. Aah, skip the technobabble - oooow!"  
Beat groaned and rubbed the dust from his face. He'd heard Cube's voice wobble. For all her joking, she was scared.  
"I'm sure they'll find us soon," he said rather lamely.  
"I wonder what dying is like?" Cube said.   
"Don't talk like that. You'll freak me out."  
"Why?" She looked at him, eyes dark circles in a bone-white face. "Kids our age die. You know that."  
"We won't die!"  
"That's what Coin thought! I bet he went along with the corporation, just enjoying the fun, and then he was killed. They murdered him. I wonder if he knew it was gonna happen. What he thought...How it felt...I never knew exactly how it happened...I want to know now. I should be glad I'm seeing him again..."  
Her voice broke, and she rubbed a hand across her eyes, leaving dust behind it. "Shit, I'm crying."  
Beat swallowed. He'd never talked to her about Coin. It was one of those things Of Which The GGs Did Not Speak. Gingerly, he put an arm round her, and when she didn't push him away he gave her a hug. She was thin, and she felt delicate - something he never would have thought normally.   
She leaned back against him, putting her arm round his neck. "Thanks, Beat..."  
"That's okay." He put his other arm round her. His fingers brushed a rip in her shirt. Her skin was warm underneath it. His heart jumped.  
And then she raised her head and kissed him. It gave him a shock of pleasure, and he kissed her back. He leaned back, and felt her hands run down his chest.   
  
Gum was ashamed to realise that for the second time in one night she felt like crying. "None of you found them?"  
The other GGs shook their heads.  
"Well, I guess they're not here," Gum said. "Let's check someplace else."  
"Wait a minute..." Tab said. "Has anyone checked that building?" He pointed to the wall behind them, which had a large gash in it from the car.  
"I didn't," said Mew.  
"Me either," said Combo.  
"Well, don't look at me!" snapped Gum. "Let's go."  
And the four GGs raced for the stairs.  
  
Cube felt Beat lift her shirt off over her head. She gasped as the cold air hit her skin but she didn't care about the pain or the darkness any more. While she was with Beat, nothing else seemed to matter. Her mind was exploding with unfamiliar sensations, and she could think of nothing else.  
  
Gum dashed down the stairs, her mind full of the black hole in the cupboard. They'd fallen through. They could be dead. Beat could be dead. The first time she'd ever really fallen in love and now he could be dead. She had to find him.  
"Quick, through here!" called Tab, as she ran out into the cold night again. He pointed to the hole the car had made. "And be careful. It's kinda wobbly."  
Gum picked her way over smashed planks, coughing as the dust reached her mouth. She called Beat's name, heartbeats choking her. What if they found him - what if -   
"I can hear something!" called Mew. "Come on."  
Gum ran forward, stumbling over rubble. He would be okay. He had to be.   
She ducked under a hanging beam, and took in the scene.  
  
Cube felt Beat's hands tighten on her shoulders. He stopped kissing her.  
"Why've you stopped?" she murmured.  
"We've got - uh - company." His voice sounded strange.  
Cube wriggled upwards, and saw Gum's frozen face.  
Suddenly she realised what she'd done. She was a cheat. A two timer. She knew Beat had a girlfriend, and she'd just - she'd just -   
She waited for Gum to punch her/scream at her/murder her, but nothing happened. Instead the blonde GG made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a sob, and then turned and ran.   
Cube watched, her body turning numb. Mechanically, she pulled on her shirt, wriggled away from Beat, smoothed her clothes, trying to rub away the situation she was in.   
"Are you coming?" Mew spat. "Or are you going to sit here and fondle each other for the rest of the night?"  
Beat stood up, and hurried out of the building, limping slightly.   
"I - I can't walk -" Cube's throat was dry from the dust. She tried to carry on. "My leg -"   
Mew and Tab turned away from her. "I'm going to find Gum," Mew said loudly. "She needs a friend."  
Cube watched them walk away, and then looked up at Combo. She felt tears come to her eyes. If he was deserting her...  
Then he gave her a hand, and as she staggered up he let her lean on him, and helped her back to the garage.  
  
When they got back, they entered a room full of serious faces.   
Beat was sitting on the sofa, apparently trying to blend into it. Gum stood on the other side of the room, her eyes red and damp, her mouth twisted. Tab was sitting with her, comforting her, but looking worriedly at Beat now and then. Mew's pretty face contorted into a sneer as she saw Cube, and whispered something to Yo-Yo, who was sitting next to her. He nodded, and they both smirked.   
Garam had his arm round Piranha, who was his girlfriend, and they had 'thank-god-this-hasn't-happened-to-us' looks on their faces.   
Slate was playing pinball, ignoring the whole situation totally.  
"Well, well, well." Mew stood up, and sauntered towards Cube. "If it isn't the slut. Who's your next target? Garam? Or possibly Slate? And of course, Yo-Yo's still available; though if he wasn't, I guess it wouldn't matter..."  
"Hey, leave her alone!" Combo said. Cube was still leaning on him. Her leg was agonising.  
"Why should I? She wasn't exactly reluctant. I think you noticed that. 'Why've you stopped, Beat honey?' Why're you sticking up for her, anyway?"  
"She's my friend."  
"Yeah, well, that's all very nice, but sometimes you gotta do the right thing. Stick up for the right people."  
"Give up, Mew," Gum said, voice thick with tears. "She doesn't care what you think. She doesn't care what any of us think, and I want her out of the GGs!"  
There was a dead silence, broken only by the bleeps and crashes from the pinball machine.   
"You can't kick me out!" Cube said, finding her voice at last. "Look, it was a mistake - I didn't mean to - to -"  
"Get caught?" Gum was crying again now. "I don't care! I don't want to have to trust you or see you or ever speak to you again!"   
"Beat's the leader," Combo said. "Ask him."  
Everyone looked at Beat, who shrugged and surreptitiously wriggled back into the sofa cushions. "Ummm - I don't mind - nothing to do with me..."  
"It's everything to do with you," said Yo-Yo. "I mean, you're the one who had his tongue down her throat -"  
Gum, Cube and Beat all gave him death ray looks, and said, "Uh - okay - and of course, you are the leader...right?"  
"Unofficially. I can't just decide to kick her out. I say we vote."  
"Be democratic?" Mew spat out the word like it tasted bad. "I don't think - I mean, is that really fair?"  
"Yes, that's the whole point." Beat sighed. "Okay. Everyone who's in favour of Cube - uh - leaving - say aye."  
"Aye," Mew, Gum, Yo-Yo, Tab, Garam and Piranha said.  
"All against it say nay. Cube, you can't vote."  
"Nay." Combo's voice echoed folornly in the garage.  
"What about Beat and Slate?" asked Garam.  
"I'm not voting," Beat said. Gum glared at him. "And Slate isn't really taking an interest, is he?"  
"Come on...roll, go on, go on...damn!" Slate kicked the pinball machine.  
"Well, if she's out, I'm out," Combo said flatly. "Let's go, kid."  
"Wait, I haven't made it official!" Beat said, looking like he was being forced to speak every word. "Ummm...Cube, you are hereby no longer a GG, you were voted out by a democratic thingy, you can't spray GG tags and you can't say you're a GG, so - um -"  
"I get the idea. Thanks." Cube felt frozen, but she kept her voice casual. It hurt to do so. "Come on, Combo."  
She let him help her to the garage door, trying not to look at the faces of the others.  
"Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh! I won! I won I won IwonIwonIwon!" Slate yelled over the pinball machine's triumphant bleeping. He punched the air several times. "In your face, Pinball! In...your...face!" He did a little victory dance, and saw the other GGs glaring at him. "What? Did I miss something?"  
  
Well, what d'you think? R +R please!  



	2. The Return Of Coin

Chapter 02 – The Return Of Coin  
  
(Disclaimer: I don't know, why do we bother putting this up? I mean, isn't   
obvious that I don't own Jet Set Radio? Anyway, I don't, and never will. You   
know the rest.)  
  
Cube sat on a roof in Grind Square, gazing down at the lights below. When   
Coin had brought her up here for the first time, she'd nearly freaked. Skating?   
Ten storeys above the ground? As if!  
He'd convinced her to move, to jump, to grind along rows of glittering   
bulbs. When she'd panicked, he'd just calmed her. Now she could skate along   
the edge of the roof like it was a kid's grinding rail.  
But now Coin was gone. And that was life, wasn't it? Everyone she   
liked, everyone who supported her, everyone who she could call family ran off   
and left her. Her own parents. Coin. And now the GGs.  
Cube found she was about to cry again, and hated herself for it. Why   
was she so weak? Why couldn't she be cool like – like anyone else?  
Angrily, she jumped to her feet, and skated along until she reached a   
billboard asking people to support some charity. Normally Cube left those sort   
of adverts alone. It didn't hurt her, and after all, election campaigns and bimbo   
supermodels got to her much more.   
But now she didn't care any more. She'd been hurt. They could be too.   
It'd even the score. She sprayed a blood-red trail over a pair of big eyes in a   
bony face, but it didn't make her feel any better.  
  
Beat dashed down a side alley in Shibuya-cho, trying to catch his breath. He'd   
been running for miles. Over his head a helicopter circled, its shadow raising   
goosebumps on his arms. His throat ached. His legs burned. He wanted out.  
Eight GGs. Too much street. Not enough friends. Too many cops.   
Beat tried to blend into the wall as Onishima rushed past him, gun ready. He   
hadn't thought losing two gang members would make such a difference.  
Combo was the real loss. His strength meant that if you were with him,   
getting cornered by the cops posed no more danger than getting caught in the   
rain. He could punch his way past anyone. He'd saved them all loads of times.   
And now he was gone.  
Cube wasn't so tough. But she was pretty agile, and the fastest at   
grinding. She was good at getting to hard-to-reach places. Beat admitted to   
himself that they needed her too.  
And losing any two people meant that they were two less to act as   
decoys, two less to cause diversions, two less to paint the streets. The GGs   
were struggling.  
The Love Shockers were slowly moving back into Shibuya-cho,   
decorating its edges with splattered pink and blue. And Poison Jam and the   
Noise Tanks – both tough, both with their own nasty skills – were starting to   
take revenge on the GGs for years of being the losers.   
"Ah-ha!"  
Beat groaned as Onishima tore up the alleyway, and began to skate   
again. He hadn't sprayed any large tags for ages. Every time he tried,   
somebody came up and knocked him down.   
Jumping, he screed down a banister and into the half pipe. Breathing a   
sigh of relief as Onishima stopped chasing, he turned the corner to see five   
Love Shockers waiting for him.  
Five? Uh-oh. He'd never seen more than three together before. And he   
didn't like the nasty smiles on their scratched faces either.  
"Uh – I was just leaving," he said. No use trying to fight. They'd screw   
him. Maybe literally.   
They sauntered towards him, skates cutting over the dusty ground.   
"Hey, girls, get a load of this! It's a GG."  
"It's the leader of the GGs." Beat could feel them circling round him,   
and he swallowed. Could he make a run for it?  
"Wanna flirt with the Love Shockers?" one of them hissed, her breath   
cold on his neck.  
"No, I'd rather eat Poison Jam."  
"Very funny." Her voice cut into his ears. "Girls – let's get him!"  
  
Gum looked up in surprise as a dustbin rolled into the garage. Beat crawled   
out, looking distinctly miserable.  
"We can't go on like this," he groaned as he spat out his goggles.  
"What happened to you?" Gum wasn't exactly friends with Beat, but   
she was speaking to him. When necessary.  
"The Love Shockers."  
Gum felt quite sorry for him, but she hid it by rolling her eyes and   
saying, "Too fast for you, were they?"  
"Five of them…one of me." Beat was looking up at her, and his eyes   
were pleading.  
She wanted to say yes, but then she remembered his face as he kissed   
Cube, and she itched to stuff his goggles back down his throat.  
When the other GGs rolled in, Beat propped himself up on his elbow   
and said, "We have to get them back."  
"Who?" Yo-Yo asked.  
"Combo and Cube, of course!"  
Gum slammed her fist down on the table to reveal her feelings. So he   
did still like that dumb Goth. She had to stop hoping.  
"Why?" she snapped.  
"Because we're totally getting our butts kicked!" Beat said. "Have I   
ever come back in a trash can before?"  
"Well, sometimes you look like you have."  
"We need Combo 'cos he's tough," Beat said, anger creeping into his   
own voice now. "Combo won't come back without Cube. Therefore we   
need'em both back. Right?"  
"If she joins, I quit," Gum said. She could feel the blood pounding in   
her throat.   
"No! We need ten of us, we can manage then. You can't quit. Can't   
you just – put aside your differences?"  
Gum stood up. "No."  
"Right!" Beat yelled, his patience gone, "I'm the leader and I say we get   
them back."  
"Hey, what happened to democracitness?" asked Yo-Yo.  
"I've had enough of that," growled Beat. "We're off to Grind City."  
"You are. I'm not," Gum said.  
"Fine! We'll be back with the other two in about a week. See how   
many trash cans you can collect by then."  
"Come on, you might as well come," Piranha said, carefully moving   
Gum away before she could kill Beat. "At least you can keep an eye on them   
then."  
"I don't want to keep an eye on them. If Beat wants to go around   
screwing vampires, that's fine with me!"  
"All right, look at it this way. You stay, you'll be a prime target for the   
Love Shockers." It was a well known fact that Gum hated Love Shockers   
almost as much as she did crying and, at the moment, Cube.  
The argument worked. "Fine. I'll come. But I won't talk to her, and I   
won't sit next to her, and…"  
"Yeah, yeah. Be calm, Gum. Be calm."  
  
Gum liked travelling, she had to admit. Arriving in Grind City, she tasted the   
unfamiliar sounds, and grinned despite her black mood.   
"I don't see why we all have to hang round and look for them," whined   
Mew. "Can't we go shopping?"  
"Oh, yeah? What're you gonna buy stuff with, spray paint?" Beat said.  
"We can window shop, can't we? Meet back by the statue in an hour or   
two. I don't wanna see Cube and I bet Gum doesn't either."  
Gum felt herself blush, and scowled.   
"Okay, fine." Beat looked like he was tired of all of them. "Mew, Gum   
– who else wants to go shopping?"  
None of the guys did, but Mew insisted. In the end, Slate, Beat, Piranha   
went to look for the missing GGs, while everyone else went – or was dragged   
off – to the shops.   
"We gonna check out Bantam Street, then?" Gum heard Piranha say.   
"That's where Combo said they used to hang out."  
Beat nodded. Gum wondered what he was thinking. "Let's go."  
She turned away, and tried to think of something else.  
  
It was hot in Bantam Street, and not many people were out. The three GGs   
headed to the skate park.  
"What if she's avoiding us?" Slate said. He actually looked a little   
concerned.  
"She can't keep dodging us." Beat rubbed a finger under his goggles,   
which were starting to heat up. "Let's go."  
The skate park was no less deserted. Except for one solitary figure,   
doing flips along the ramp at the end.  
"Cube!" Beat yelled.  
She stopped, and saw who it was. Then she skated slowly down the   
ramp, and said, "Yeah?"  
"Look, we're really sorry. I'm really sorry. We want you back." Beat's   
words tumbled over themselves as he remembered the Love Shockers.   
Cube looked them over. Her eyes were even more heavily ringed with   
black than usual, as were her lips.   
"Well, you can't have me," she said, and skated away.  
"What?" Beat caught up with her. "Why not? Come on, Cube, we   
need you!"  
"Sure you do. As a bit of fun when Gum says no. Well, I got better   
things to do." She hissed it out. Beat felt sick. She hated him. But persistence   
was one of his better qualities.   
"That's not true. Look, I said I was sorry. Please come back!"  
"No."  
"Why won't you trust me?"  
"Why should I? You didn't exactly stick up for me. Anyway, I don't   
want to be part of a love triangle, thank you. I told you, I've got better things   
to do."  
She leapt up onto the railing and ground along it, over their heads. Beat   
stared after her, not sure what to do, but Slate leapt into action – unusually for   
him – and said, "I'll go after her. Talk to her. You guys wait here."  
The other two watched him skim away. Beat said, crestfallen, "Why   
didn't she listen?"  
"Why should she?" Piranha's angry voice made him look up. "You   
kissed her and made it with her and then when you get caught – instead of   
sharing the blame – you leave her to take it and even fire her yourself. I   
wouldn't talk to you if I were her."  
"But what else could I do? It would've really hurt Gum if I'd let her   
stay."  
"You care about Gum?"  
"Course I do. But she won't listen."  
"You can't have it both ways, Beat. I think you're just gonna have to   
accept you screwed up and try again. With one of them."  
Beat sighed as Piranha began to practise wall rides away from him. It   
was all right for her; she had Garam. He had nobody.  
  
Cube skated faster and faster until she was dashing. She could hear Slate   
behind her. He was catching up. Her skates seemed painfully slow suddenly.   
Why couldn't she outrun him?  
"Cube, wait!" she heard him yell as she ran into a building, and up the   
stairs. It was cooler in here. He was still following.  
She remembered running in here – the Rokkakus with machine guns –   
hearing bullets scrape her heels – jumping – the window smashing as she got   
away. But now the building was silent, and the shade flowed over the floor   
like water.  
She was out of breath. She sank to the ground and waited for Slate.   
She'd tell him to get lost soon enough.  
"Listen," he said as he dropped down beside her. "We all want you   
back."  
"Why do you care? You hardly even noticed I was gone!"  
Slate sighed. "I'm sorry. I –" He stopped, and voice muffled as it   
always was by his collar, said, "Do you like Beat? In that way?"  
"No. It was a fling. He's a good friend – he was – but nothing more. I   
was hurt, and scared, and thinking about Coin…I just lost it." It was good to   
tell someone. Combo didn't want her to talk about it, because he was so angry   
himself.   
"You miss Coin, huh?"  
"Yeah." Cube gazed out over the rooftops. "He really helped me, you   
know. Before I met him I could just about move forward on skates. That was   
how amateur I was." She grinned as she remembered something. "He tried to   
teach me to grind, in the skate park. I got up on the railing, moved along it like   
a snail, and then –"  
"Then you fell off." Slate's voice was oddly quiet. "Right at his feet.   
He was worried you'd hurt yourself, but you got up and laughed, and tried   
again. And fell off again."  
Cube looked at him, dread crawling down her spine. "How d'you know   
about that?" That had been personal. She remembered the day and pictured   
eyes on them. Watching them. "Tell me how you know about it!"  
"Cube, I – I – look, this is hard to explain. I wasn't spying on you. I   
was there. I was trying to teach you to grind. I saw you fall at my feet. I –"  
"Slate, this is not funny!" Cube yelled. "I really loved Coin and I'm not   
gonna be tricked because you think I'm desperate. Is that why you all came in   
the first place?"  
"No – listen, can't you? I'm telling the truth. I – I'm Coin."  
Don't believe him, Cube's mind said. He's just trying to hurt you like   
they all did. Anyway, it's impossible.   
But if it was true…  
"You can't be Coin," she said, surprised how calm she sounded. "Coin   
was killed by the Rokkaku corporation."  
"How do you know that?"  
"He never came back – and – and they said on the radio…"  
"They said he paid too high a price. You never knew what that was."  
"If you're Coin, why didn't you ever say anything?"  
"Because it was too dangerous. I didn't know if I was still wanted by   
the Rhinos. I thought I'd better lie low. Anyway, there was something else –"  
"Yeah, you don't even look like him!" Cube felt on safer ground.   
Maybe she didn't know about death, but she knew about looks. "Your nose…"  
"Exactly. You know how I escaped? I broke free – I ran – they caught   
up – I was crazy to get out – I ran straight through a window. Got a fistful of   
glass in my face. I fell a few storeys and played dead. They thought I was.   
They're crap shots, as you may have noticed – they fired down at me, hit my   
arm, but I lay still as I could."  
Cube found herself believing him. She told herself to stop.   
"After a while I managed to get up. I was in agony, but I struggled back   
to Grind Square – I told you to go there, didn't I? You guys had gone, to   
Tokyo-to, right? I was bleeding all over, I didn't know what to do."  
He looked sincere. Cube pictured Coin – the person she used to know –   
falling – hurt – and winced.   
"I met up with a group of down-and-outs, well, more like down-and-out-  
and-on-the-run. Among them was a guy who said he was a failed plastic   
surgeon. He said he'd heal me. I guess I should've wondered why he was   
failed…  
"Anyway, when I woke up I was like this."  
The sounds of the city faded away. Cube looked at him. His eyes   
seemed sincere. And were they familiar? It was hard to tell. She'd never   
looked Slate in the eyes before, she realised.   
"I didn't want to come back to you and Combo looking like a freak."   
Slate spat out the word. "Thought it'd be better if I just – died."  
Cube couldn't speak. Surely if it was Coin – she'd have noticed – felt   
something – recognised something?   
Would they really play a joke like this on her?  
How did he know about falling off the grinding post?  
The questions crowded in on her, all demanding attention, and she   
didn't know what to do.  
Suddenly footsteps echoed up the stairs. They turned. And Onishima,   
ten policemen and a pack of slavering dogs came running towards them.  
"What're you doing here?" Cube yelled, jumping to her feet. "Isn't this   
out of your jurisdiction or something?"  
"I was in hot pursuit." Onishima gave her a crooked-tooth grin. "You   
can go anywhere if you're in hot pursuit. I already got two of you." And to the   
other cops, "Get them!"  
Seven cops leapt forward and grabbed Slate. Cube stopped for one   
stupid moment, but then he yelled, "Run!" and she dashed towards the window.   
As she jumped, glass dancing in the air around her, she heard Onishima   
cursing, and then she landed, the impact jarring up her legs. She didn't wait for   
it to fade. She had to find the others.  
  
Gum sighed. This was the eighteenth dress Mew had stopped to look at. Gum   
was ready to murder her.   
Or maybe it was just that every time they had to stop, her head filled   
with graphic pictures of Beat and Cube 'reuniting,' and made her want to throw   
up or smash something.  
She'd liked Cube. Cube had been her friend. And now she couldn't   
even think of her without choking on rage.  
"Mew, come on!" she yelled.   
"Give me a break –" Mew stopped. "Isn't that Cube?"  
Gum looked up, and her hands curled into fists. Cube was skating   
towards them.  
"Listen…" Cube gasped. "Have – have you seen the others? Beat –   
Piranha –"  
"They went to look for you," Tab said.  
"Then – then Onishima's caught them – he's here – he got Slate and –   
and he said that he caught two others – it must be them…"  
"You're kidding. What're we gonna do?" wailed Mew.  
"Does he know we're all here?" asked Tab.  
"Don't know…He said he was in hot pursuit or something, it sounds   
like he followed you here."  
"Well, we can get back to Tokyo-to," Mew said. "It's not like we have   
any reason to stay."  
Gum watched Cube's face, but the dark-haired girl just shrugged and   
said, "Fine. Nice to have seen you."  
Suddenly the street echoed with the sounds of running feet, as the cops   
came charging towards them.   
"Run!" someone yelled. Gum looked round, but the territory was   
unfamiliar and the cops were closing in. Desperate, she dived into the shop   
they'd just been looking at. Behind her, she heard Mew shriek "Let go of me!"   
and Garam shout, "Hey, watch it!" She didn't look back.   
Onshima yelled, "Hey, one of'em went into the shop. Get her!" Gum   
heard feet pounding after her, and ran for the back of the shop. An assistant   
screamed and dived for cover as Gum leapt over her head, feet bursting open   
the door into the back of the shop.   
She landed in a storeroom, and crashed through towers of cardboard   
boxes to the open door at the end of it. Beads crunched under her feet and   
clothes tangled in her path, but she kept going. Behind her she could hear   
shouts.  
She ran out into a blisteringly hot and smelly yard with dustbins piled   
high. As the cops ran towards her from another entrance, she leapt onto the   
bins and over the wall, Onishima's curses ringing in her ears.  
  
She checked all around the city, but there were no GGs to be seen. Had they   
all been caught? Gum shivered despite the sun. No other GGs. She was alone.  
At least Cube had had Combo.  
Talking of which, where was he? Not with them at the store. And Cube   
hadn't mentioned him. It'd be good if he wasn't caught. She needed someone   
on her side.   
That's if he was on her side. Maybe he blamed her for Cube getting   
kicked out. But surely – now everyone else was gone – he'd help her?  
She'd look again. She had to find him while she still could.  
Half an hour later she saw him on top of a roof, putting the finishing   
touches to some glistening graffiti. At the sound of her skates he turned, but   
glowered when he saw who it was. "What d'you want?"  
"The others – all of them – have been arrested. We're the only two   
left." Gum wrapped her arms round herself as ice slid down her spine.   
"Cube and all of'em?"  
"Yes."  
Combo carried on painting, looking thoughtful. "How're you at jail   
breaks?"  
"I can work with them."  
"Good. 'Cos I think you're gonna need to."  
  
Beat trawled through his life in search of his most humiliating moment. This   
one, he decided, was the winner.   
Getting arrested was bad enough. Getting arrested first was worse. And   
getting arrested in a skate park because you were too busy thinking about girls   
took the biscuit.  
He surveyed the others, trying to ignore the rattles and bumps as the   
police van drove along. Mew was crying. Yo-Yo was sulking. Garam and   
Piranha were whispering to each other. Tab was scowling. Cube was looking   
worried, but her mind seemed elsewhere. And Slate – Slate's cool act had   
completely faded. He was looking at Cube as though he were trying to get her   
to talk to him by telepathy.   
What had those two said to each other?   
Beat decided not to worry about it. There were more important things.   
Like the fact that as far as he could see, the GGs were finished.  
  
Cube could feel Slate's eyes on her. She didn't want to meet them. She didn't   
know what to think any more.  
If he was Coin…  
She didn't want to think too much about it. She wanted him back so   
much she was scared she'd start seeing him everywhere if she let herself.   
There was no real proof. Slate couldn't be Coin. He must've been talking to   
Combo or someone to know that stuff.   
Anyway, for now she had other things to think about. Like how long it   
would be before she got parole.  
  
(Okay, I know some of you won't agree with the whole Slate-Coin thing; I'm   
not saying it's true, it's just an idea I had! I know there may be problems with   
it, give me a break. Please r + r!)   



	3. Rudies' Prison

Chapter 03 – Rudies' Prison  
  
(Disclaimer – none of the GGs are mine, all were created by Sega, etc, blah,   
although I made up the names and personalities of the Love Shockers. I don't   
know much about radio building so please don't sue me if I get it all wrong.   
Thanx! Oh, and muchas gracias to everyone who's reviewed the first 2   
chapters of this. Note to Charles 'Rocketboy' Reilly – I know how you feel   
about Mew, I'm sorry she's such a ditz in this, I'll try and be nicer to her next   
time. Sorry!)  
  
Gum sprayed viciously, trying not to think of the date. Today, she knew, the   
other GGs were officially not on remand, but had been 'tried,' found guilty,   
sentenced and banged up for who knew how long.   
Her tags were beginning to feature ever-darker colours, vicious claws   
and proclamations of death, doom and despair. She was particularly proud of   
the one that depicted Onishima being decapitated in graphic detail.  
She and Combo had tried to do something. But having actually   
managed to catch most of the GGs, Onishima was not about to let them escape.   
Anyone within ten feet of the police station who couldn't produce rigorously   
correct ID, a police uniform and ten details about the types of coffee the   
vending machine in the lobby served was promptly vaporised.  
And now her and Combo were the only GGs left.   
Not that Combo was any happier about it. He'd taken to looking sadly   
out of the garage window at the rainy skies, and giving deep sighs at intervals.   
This meant that Gum had to spray three districts all by herself, every day, and   
fend off attacks from rival gangs, of which there were now a lot.   
Things were starting to get a little desperate.   
And every second, she'd be wondering what was happening to her   
friends now.  
  
Beat glowered at the plate of stew in front of him. He wouldn't give this to   
Potts. In fact, if he did he'd get done by the RSPCA. But then, the Juvenile   
Skaters' Correctional Facility had never been renowned for its cooking.   
His fingers itched for spray paint. His feet itched for skates. And his   
heart itched for Gum. He was glad she'd escaped, of course. And even if she   
was in here, they couldn't talk; members of the same gang weren't allowed to   
associate. But he could look at her…  
The dining hall was crowded with ex-skaters, varying in age from about   
eight to twenty-five. Even here there were the gang wars. The Noise Tanks   
wore white uniforms. Poison Jam wore green. The Love Shockers wore pink.   
Anyone else wore yellow. Except the GGs.  
Because none of the GGs had ever ended up here before, they didn't   
have a colour set for their uniforms. But for some reason, yellow wasn't good   
enough. Instead, they had to wear grey, which marked them out as the gang   
everybody hated, the gang that had kept winning, and the gang which had now   
had its back broken. It wasn't a good situation.  
Beat, as the leader, had been most at risk, and had been shoved around,   
punched and tripped innumerable times in the last week. Only keeping his   
mouth shut and his head down had saved him from getting hurt worse.   
The GGs had been split into two halves. He, Slate, Mew and Piranha   
were in one block, Tab, Cube, Yo-Yo and Garam in another.   
Piranha was making the best of it: she could stand up for herself yet   
somehow manage not to get smushed into the floor, but Mew just sulked.   
Perpetually. Even the other inmates had stopped bullying her after a while   
because there was just no fun in it.   
And Slate…  
Slate looked out of it, basically. He was thinking about something else.   
Or maybe someone else. Not for the first time, Beat wondered what he'd said   
to Cube. That looked like where all the trouble had started.  
What was bad was that the other inmates had also heard somewhere   
about how he'd got caught because he was thinking about a girl. It gave them   
something else to taunt him with, and it hurt because it made him think of   
Gum.   
And on top of that there was the guilt about getting Cube fired, causing   
them to go to Grind City, causing them to get caught…  
Beat had to admit that the situation had not been handled well at all.  
  
Cube heard the footsteps behind her, and her heart speeded up. The corridor   
was empty. There were cameras trained on them in every room, but those   
would've been taken care of somehow. If she walked faster, she might be able   
to make it to breakfast…  
"Hey, GG!"  
Cube kept walking, not looking round, though she recognised the voice.   
One of the Love Shockers who'd been heckling her yesterday.   
"Hey, we're talking to you!" another voice called.  
The footsteps speeded up, and someone grabbed her arm. The shock   
made her hit out, but a long-nailed hand caught her wrist and pulled her back   
against the wall.  
"Where's your manners, GG?" demanded the first Love Shocker. Her   
pink hair had been brushed down, but random spikes bobbed up everywhere   
like a storm on a strawberry sea.  
"Where's yours?" Cube retorted. She wasn't going to act afraid. These   
were same as the girls she'd chased out of Shibuya hundreds of times.   
"Oh, a wise guy. Just our luck, don't you think, Shar?"  
Shar – the other Love Shocker – nodded. "Maybe she needs to get   
knocked down a little." She had a squint, and nicotine-stained fingers and   
teeth.  
"I'm not surprised you're in the Love Shockers," said Cube. "No guy'd   
stay with you for long, that's for sure." If they were going to beat her up, she'd   
at least go down fighting.  
Shar slapped her round the face. Cube's blood pounded in her ears.   
First blow.  
"At least our gang's still alive. Yours is totally smashed. I heard it was   
all her fault, wasn't it, Dash?"  
"Too busy screwing the leader to notice the cops. Was he a good lay?"  
"I don't know how you'd judge; who's ever had you?" Cube could feel   
the concrete against her arms, rough and cold. It would hurt to have her head   
slammed into it.   
Dash punched her in the stomach. Cube doubled over, glad now that   
they'd got her before breakfast. She hated throwing up. She felt hands grab   
her shoulders, push her up against the wall again, grip her wrists.   
"Don't think much of the GGs anyway now they're inside. A bimbo – a   
dweeb – a freak –"  
"Did you see that one with the nose?" Dash giggled. Cube felt the   
blood drain from her face. Slate – Coin – who?  
"Look at her, she's gone all white." Shar gripped Cube's collar. "What,   
you had him too? Who is he, anyway?"  
Cube couldn't speak. Even as part of her brain cursed and tried to fight,   
the rest opened up the gloom gates and let the tears flow. She tried to hold   
them back, but the blinking gave her away.  
"She's crying! I don't believe it! Some rudie she is. Guess Nose guy   
was good after all."  
"Then let's give her a makeover for him."  
Cube winced as the fist hit her cheekbone. She heard them laughing,   
but only dimly over the flood of fury that overwhelmed her. How could she   
have started crying, for pete's sake? That was Mew's job. She tried to break   
free, but Shar twisted her wrist and then punched her again. Great. She was   
gonna get a reputation as a wimp before the day was out, and then by the time   
her sentence was over she'd need a plastic surgeon before anything else.  
She spat air as someone else hit her stomach, and then –   
"Hey, leave her alone!"  
A girl's voice. Cube felt the hands let go of her wrists, and opened her   
eyes as much as she could. Another Love Shocker stood there, the glaring pink   
of her uniform cutting across her tanned skin.  
"Aw, come on, Kell, she's a GG!" Dash scowled and kicked Cube on   
the ankle. "Give us a break!"  
"You got breakfast to go to. Give it up." The last three words were spat   
out like thorns.   
Shar grabbed Dash's arm and the two raced off towards the dining hall.   
Cube, leaning against the wall, taking deep breaths, watched the third Love   
Shocker – Kell? – stroll towards her.   
"If you're gonna beat me up, could you get it over with?" she asked.   
She could feel her lip had split, and licked the blood. It tasted tangy on her   
tongue. "I've got a full schedule today."  
Kell grinned. "I'm not gonna hurt you."  
"Then why'd you call off your goons?"  
"I wanted to talk to you."  
"Why?" Cube got to her feet. She felt kinda giddy, but tried to walk   
straight. All the things she'd ever heard about prisons were coming into her   
head. She clenched her fists.  
"The way I see it, if you've managed to take over two other territories,   
saved the city from a demon, not been ground to a pulp by Onishima, and   
survived falling through a building, you ain't the type of girl to start crying   
because of a couple of bitchy remarks."  
"I don't cry."  
"Sure. Back there you just had something in your eye."  
Cube glowered at her, but she grinned slightly and said, "Come on.   
Spill the beans."  
"Look. I'm a GG. You're supposed to hate me. Everyone else does.   
Now leave me alone!"  
"Why should I hate you? In here we need to stick together. Let's get to   
breakfast."  
Cube followed her down the corridor. She was suspicious of this   
sudden show of friendship, but there didn't seem to be much else she could do.   
Anyway, she needed someone to look out for her. The other GGs could try, but   
they had their own fights to contend with.  
"So, you gonna say why you cried?"  
"No." Cube wondered if she was gonna get punched again, but Kell just   
shrugged and said, "Sure, honey. Let's go."  
  
Night fell. Beat lay on his bunk, staring at the sheet of unbreakable plastic   
covering the window. Behind that was bars; he'd seen them when he was   
brought in. And behind that was the real world.   
He couldn't hear anything except prison sounds. Shouting. Crashes.   
Clanging footsteps. No traffic. No music. No partygoers.   
Beat sighed. He hated this place so much it hurt. He wanted to be out   
there now, dashing over the rooftops of Benten-cho, painting the town, seeing   
the bright lights. He'd be smelling the dry ice and takeaways, feeling the cold   
air on his face, hearing Jet Set Radio pounding in his ears…  
"Jet Set Radio!crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrProfessor K, bringing   
youccccccrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrhood! Get out therecrrrrrrrrr…"  
Yes, he could hear it now, low, on the edges of his consciousness…  
Wait a minute. Beat sat up. He could hear it. He could hear Jet Set   
Radio whispering in the cell.  
He looked over the edge of the bunk and saw both his cellmates – one   
Poison Jam, one Noise Tank – sitting on the floor, fiddling with something   
shiny and crackling. The Noise Tank connected one wire to another, and   
Professor K's voice suddenly became clear.  
"Seems like the GGs are out of the game for good! Only two left, and   
the other gangs are closing in. Are we seeing the end of the Golden Age for   
them? Maybe – tune in to Jet Set Radio for the latest news on da street!"  
"How did you do that?" Beat asked.  
"Go back to sleep, GG," said the Noise Tank.   
"And now for somecrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…"   
Professor K's voice was drowned by a wave of static. The Noise Tank   
cursed. "Quit distracting me, okay?"  
"Hey, I listen to it too."  
The Noise Tank ignored him and turned back to his work. The Poison   
Jammer was holding a torch which glowed weakly in the darkness. Beat   
wondered how he hadn't noticed it before.  
Suddenly the static cleared again. The last notes of a song faded out,   
and then Professor K said, "Well, Shibuya's quiet at the moment. Just waiting   
for a new gang to step in. Are the Love Shockers finally gonna get a place of   
their own?"  
  
Gum listened to the radio, and itched to throw it across the room. So she was   
finished, was she? So the Love Shockers were taking over, were they? So she   
was out of the game, was she?  
She'd see about that.  
It was – she glanced at her watch – three in the morning. The night had   
only just begun. There was still time for a little painting…  
Combo was asleep on the sofa, looking worried even in his dreams.   
Gum wondered whether to wake him, but decided against it. He'd only tell her   
not to go.   
And she wasn't going to be put off by anyone. It was time to show   
everyone the GGs were still live and kicking.  
Outside it was pouring with rain. Icy drips slid down Gum's neck, but   
the burning rage behind her ribs was all she could feel. Shaking a paint can,   
she heard it rattle reassuringly, and began to skate.  
When she reached her destination, she was soaked. Flicking a rat tail of   
wet hair out of her eyes, she pressed the can and heard the hiss of paint mingle   
with the hiss of the rain. A beam of colour tore across the wet walls. Gum's   
fingers were as cold as her eyes as she painted the biggest tag of all.  
  
The next night. Beat was losing track of time. He wondered if eventually he'd   
forget what it was like outside for good. He'd be released, and he'd stagger   
out, and put on his skates, and fall flat on his face. Course, he'd probably be   
about forty by then. An adult. And then he wouldn't want to skate any more   
anyway.  
His thoughts were too depressing. He rolled over, and then the static   
pulled back, and Professor K called, "Latest on the street – well, I guess some   
GG somewhere was listening last night after all! The police station's had a   
makeover, folks – GG graffiti everywhere! Bet Onishima's wishing he'd kept   
up those extra guards!"  
Beat wanted to cheer, but he didn't think his cellmates would appreciate   
it. So Gum and Combo were out there, somewhere…  
"Seriously, this tag's got class! Not a brick of the station's been left   
untouched. So now the question is, are the GGs so dead   
aftercrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…"  
The Noise Tank scowled, and hit the Poison Jammer, who promptly fell   
over. Beat leaned over to look at the makeshift (very makeshift) radio. "Why   
don't you try –"  
"I don't need your help," growled the Noise Tank.   
"Where're you getting the power for this, anyway?"  
"I got my sources." The Noise Tank looked smug for a second, then   
said, "What's it to you, anyway?"  
"Just curious. And by the way, if you connect that –" He pointed to one   
wire. "To that – it might help."  
"Yeah, right." The Noise Tank nevertheless connected the two, and   
music filled the cell.  
"Hey, thanks!" said the Poison Jammer. The Noise Tank hit him again.   
"What?" The Poison Jammer rubbed his head. "He's helping us, ain't   
he?"  
"He's a GG," snarled the Noise Tank. "Remember? The gang we all   
hate?"  
"I don't see why," said Beat, who had decided he preferred to talk than   
lie there thinking how awful his life had become. "I mean, we're all rudies,   
right?"  
"Yeah, but you're the rudies who keep on winning." The Noise Tank   
hit the Poison Jammer again, who obligingly fell over again.  
"So we're lucky, and skilful, and cool, and…" Beat realised they were   
glaring at him, and said, "Sorry. But come on. We all want this radio, right?"  
"Yeah." The Poison Jammer uncrossed his eyes.  
"If you start going about teamwork and being friends," said the Noise   
Tank, "I shall have to kill you."  
"Okay, point taken. But we want the radio…"  
Beat saw the Noise Tank's thoughts rolling slowly across his brain. We   
want the radio. He can help us with the radio. But he's a GG. And I can build   
the radio myself. Can't I? We want the radio…  
"Okay, fine," the Noise Tank growled at last. "Let's get going."  
By the time the wake-up call was sounded, they'd managed to get a   
permanent link to Jet Set Radio, and all three of them were yawning. But Beat   
didn't mind the lack of sleep. Jet Set Radio was back. Things couldn't be all   
bad.  
He studied the other GGs as they ate breakfast. Mew was scowling,   
viciously chewing and ignoring everyone. Piranha was talking to a bunch of   
kids in yellow – who were mostly okay, a lot of them never having come into   
direct opposition with the GGs – and Slate was staring at his plate, a miserable   
expression on his face.   
Beat wondered how the other four were doing. He missed them, even   
Yo-Yo. Although he was kind of glad he couldn't see Cube. She must hate his   
guts.   
Cube at that moment was walking down the corridor with Kell, actually feeling   
almost happy. She hadn't had her face smashed for ages now. Kell had power   
over the Love Shockers, and even the other gangs were wary of her – and by   
association, of Cube.   
Kell slung a casual arm around Cube's shoulders. "I'm really glad we   
met up, aren't you?"  
"Yeah. Specially as you saved my butt."  
"Aw, that's all right. What's the good of having power if you don't use   
it?" Kell stopped walking. "You're a really good friend, Cube, you know   
that?"  
"I am?" Cube couldn't see what she'd done for Kell.  
"Yeah." And Kell pushed her against the wall and kissed her on the   
lips.  
Cube shoved her back. "Hey, knock it off, I'm not that sort of girl!"   
"Do I care? While you're in here you gotta make sacrifices." And she   
kissed her again.  
Cube, angry, embarrassed and disgusted, lost her temper and slapped   
Kell round the face.  
There was a long, long silence. Cube looked around. Everyone who'd   
been walking down from the female's quarters was staring at her in   
amazement. And Kell stood there, one hand raised to her face, her eyes black   
with rage.  
"Is it too late to say sorry?" Cube said, wishing her back wasn't against   
the wall. Again.  
"Oh, yeah. It's too late for you, GG." Kell's voice was dark and   
furious. "You know what happened to the last bitch who hit me?"  
"I'm guessing you didn't give her a hug and a box of chocolates." Cube   
felt her heart beat faster, like it did when she was grinding over the rooftops   
with the cops in hot pursuit. Fight or flight, and she was gonna have to go for   
the fight.   
"Any guards coming?" Kell called, never taking her eyes off Cube.  
"No." Another Love Shocker shook her head.   
And then Kell hit out at her, and Cube dropped. The shriek as Kell's fist   
punched the wall gave her confidence, and she pushed at Kell's feet, knocking   
her off balance. Kell crashed to the floor, one hand crumpled, and scratched   
out like a cornered cat. Cube felt blood run down her skin, but the pain was   
drowned under the adrenaline in her veins.   
The Love Shockers – everyone – were standing there, watching, not   
saying a word, and even as she fought Cube wondered why. Surely the other   
girls would've pitched in? But they all stood frozen as the fight raged.  
Cube felt a fist slam into her face, and she hit the floor – and then Kell   
was on her, pinning her arms with her knees, uninjured hand crushing her   
throat.  
"You are dead…"  
Cube choked, tried to breathe, but the Love Shocker's fingers were   
squeezing her windpipe. Lights were whirling in front of her eyes, she felt her   
ribs rise as they struggled to find air, Kell was laughing, and then Cube,   
desperate, reached round and dug her nails into Kell's leg.  
It was a schoolgirl move, but Kell winced – and Cube pushed her off,   
shoved her down, and then stood up, gasping in cool, delicious air, and waiting   
for the next punch.  
But it didn't come. There were running feet, and she saw guards   
approaching – a shot – a sharp sting in her arm, and her eyes closed.  
  
When she opened them again she was lying on a cell bunk, but something was   
different. This wasn't her old bunk…the light was coming from a different   
side.  
She sat up, her head aching, and heard a voice say, "Nice one, GG."  
Cube looked up and saw a Love Shocker, sitting on the opposite bunk.  
"What's nice?" she asked. Her throat was so dry she could hardly get   
the words out.  
"You beating Kell. That bitch's been asking for it for years."  
"But you're a Love Shocker. Surely…"  
"Nah, Kell's our leader, you see. She pushed us around outside and   
she's pushing us around in here. You're the first one to stand up to her."  
Cube swallowed, and the bruises on her throat groaned. "I can see why.   
Is that why the rest of you didn't help her just now?"  
"Yeah. We hate her guts. When she gets out she'll find she's a has-  
been." The Love Shocker's face cut into a grin.  
"Why am I in this cell?" Cube looked around. Yes, it definitely wasn't   
her old one.   
"Oh, the guards figured you might have a problem with Kell, so after   
they tranquillised you they swapped you for that girl GG who sulks all the   
time."  
"Mew…"  
"Yeah, that's the one. Some cellmate she was, huh, Tasha?"  
This was directed to a small girl dressed in yellow who was sitting on   
the bottom bunk, knees drawn up to her chest.   
"Oh, yeah, I'm San, and this is Tasha." San indicated the small girl.   
"And we both know you're Cube."  
"Yeah, that's me…So am I gonna get beaten up again now?"  
"Shouldn't think so. Anyone who can defeat Kell isn't gonna have   
much trouble."  
"I didn't exactly defeat her…"  
"Well, by tomorrow you will have. You're made, girl."  
Cube didn't know whether to believe San, but at any rate she was away   
from Kell. Good thing. And she'd be able to see the other three GGs. Beat.   
Piranha. Slate…And she shivered.  
  
Gum sat in the garage, twisting the tuning knob on the radio, rushing through   
opera and country, hip-hop and football. She'd hoped that tagging the police   
station would make her feel better, but no. Everything was still bleak.   
"crrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…and that was the latest from   
the…crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…and he SCORES! THE CROWD IS GOING   
WILD!…crrrrrrrrrrr…President Clinton is attending summit meetings   
with…crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…hey, watch it!"  
Gum froze. The last voice had sounded like – like Beat.  
"Shut up, GG…crrrrrrrrrrrr…just because you ruled outside…"  
"Look, can we please co-operate?…crrrrrrrrrr… not sure we needed to   
add all these extra parts to it…crrrrrrrrr…wanted Jet Set Radio, not the   
Argentinian sports channel…"  
It was Beat. Gum wondered if she was hallucinating, but it sounded like   
him. Very like him.   
And they were trying to get Jet Set Radio. If they had it…slowly a plan   
began to form in her mind.  
  
(Well? What do you think? Please r+r!)  
  



	4. Breakout Part One

Chapter 04 – Breakout Part One  
(Disclaimer: Oh, come on, you know it by now. Blah, blah, don't own   
characters, blah, Sega does, blah. However I freely admit I know zilch about   
the technicalities of radio building so please don't freak about that. Thanx!)  
  
Beat grinned as the music faded away. You had to admit, building a fully   
working radio in jail from who knew what was a pretty good achievement. He   
could afford to be smug.  
"And this is Professor K, bringing you Jet Set Radio live and in action.   
And now we have a special message to all the GGs from a lonely lady…"  
Cheesy romantic music echoed in the background.  
And then Beat heard the voice he'd been wishing for.  
"Beat? Everyone?"  
He fought the urge to punch the air. Of course, this didn't mean she'd   
forgiven him. But at least she could mention his name.  
"This is Gum…uh…I don't know whether you'll pick this up, but I got   
the frequency of your radio and it's a way of communicating, I don't dare come   
to visit you 'cos they'll probably figure I'm a GG as well…uh…anyway…I'm   
gonna bust you punks outta there if it's the last thing I do!"  
The Noise Tank and the Poison Jammer glanced at each other, with   
'huh?' faces on.  
"Anyway…uh…I'll try and tune in tomorrow. I just hope the Keisatsu   
didn't choose to hear this…"  
"Well, wasn't dat nice?" Professor K said. "Folks, the GGs are coming   
home!"  
"Not if any of the Keisatsu were listening, they're not," said the Noise   
Tank. "Boy, life must be sweet out there without you dweebs hanging round."  
Beat ignored the jibe. Surely this had to be an omen. First they got Jet   
set Radio. Now Gum was speaking to him again.   
Things didn't get any better than this.  
  
Cube saw the three GGs, all at different places round the table. Beat and   
Piranha grinned at her. But Slate just looked, and then his eyes slid away.  
Cube felt her throat tighten. Why couldn't she just talk to him? If only   
it was possible. She looked over again, but now he'd gone back to staring at   
the table. She sat down next to San, who was next to Slate, and sighed.   
"Hey," whispered San. "You wanna talk to that guy with the nose?"  
"What? Sure I do, but –"  
San nodded. "Tell me what to say and I'll say it to him."  
Cube felt herself blush, but realised she had no other option. "Tell him   
– ask him if he's mad with me."  
She forced herself not to listen to the whispered conversation on her left,   
and concentrated on her food.  
"He says no, but why won't you believe him?"  
"Because it can't be true."  
Whispering. "Why can't it?" San turned back to her again.  
"He knows why. It's stupid, it's impossible and he doesn't even look   
right." Cube knew she was being cruel, but she didn't care. She was sick of   
being pushed around.  
"He says what if he could prove it beyond all doubt?"  
"Then I'd believe him. But he can't. We can't even talk."  
"He says, remember that day you went up to sit by the statue in Grind   
Square together. He says remember you carved your names on it, and he said   
that'd be more permanent than graffiti, just like he hoped you and him were   
gonna be." San sighed. "Geez, that's so romantic. Come on, Cube, say yes,   
whatever it is!"  
"Hey, you're a Love Shocker. You don't believe in romance, right?   
Tell him to stop using my memories." It hurt to hear them being spoken out   
loud. They'd been private. They'd been what she remembered when she was   
lonely.   
More whispers, then San said, "He says he isn't, he says they're his   
memories too, and he says if he could just get you on your own…" She   
giggled. "He'd prove it to you for certain."  
"Tell him to shove off." Cube felt a mean pleasure as she saw Slate's   
face fall. She was sick of this. If only Coin hadn't died. Then everything   
would be fine.  
There was more whispering on her left, but ignored it.  
  
"You realise if your girl's got her radio tuned to this frequency, she can hear   
everything we're saying," said the Noise Tank.  
"Uh-huh." Beat lay back on his bunk, staring at the ceiling with a big,   
happy grin on his face.  
"Well, why're you so happy then?"  
"Because I can do this…" Beat took a deep breath. "GUUUUUUM!! I   
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!!"  
The sounds echoed around the cell, and down the corridor, and about   
fifty voices yelled back in response, "Shut up!"  
  
Gum twisted the radio until she picked up what she was beginning to think of   
as the Beat frequency.  
"You realise if your girl's got her radio… crrrrrrrrrrrr…frequency, she   
can hear everything we're saying."  
"Uh-huh."  
"Well, …crrrrrrrrrrrrrrr… happy then?"  
"Because…crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…this…GUUUUUUM!!I   
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVVVVE YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU!!"  
Gum blushed, and listened to the barking and howling as every dog in   
Shibuya added to the noise. Potts stuck his head out of the kennel and looked   
around, baffled, then whined and went back to sleep.  
Combo was actually grinning. "You think he wants you back?"  
"I'm never forgiving him. Never."  
"Or her?"  
"Either of them."  
"Come on, Gum. Don't you think it's time to forgive and forget?"  
"No."  
"Okay, fine. But you're gonna miss him…"  
"I am not."  
"Are so." Combo was looking happier than she'd seen him for ages.  
"Am not."  
"Are so."  
"Am not!" Gum grabbed her spray paint and painted a long yellow   
smear down Combo's shirt. "Now shut up."  
"I hate yellow. Can't you have done it in blue?"  
"Okay!" Gum grinned and did so.  
"Right." Combo picked up his own paint. "Dis means war."  
Spray paint flew in all directions. When it finally cleared, both of the   
GGs were covered in paint and Gum was feeling happier.  
"All right," she muttered, "Maybe I'll miss him. Just a bit. Just a little   
bit. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna be nice or anything. Okay?"  
"Sure, sure."  
"Combo?"  
"Uh-huh?"  
"Is this paint fumes I can smell?"  
"Uh-huh."  
"Can't we get high on those?"  
"Uh-huh."  
"Is that a green hairy elephant coming out of the kitchen?"  
"Uh-huh."  
"Great." Gum fell back onto the sofa. "Can you reach the radio?"  
"No. It's too far…and the elephant's in the way…"  
"Cool." She lay back and let the sounds wash over her.  
"You love her? You love her? What sort of a rudie are you?"  
"A happy rudie…"  
"I think I'm gonna throw up. Is this radio connection of any use apart   
from allowing you to do the love letter thing?"  
"Does it matter?"  
"Yes. Look, bozo, some of us want to get out of here."  
"So do I. I've got my girl to worry about." Deep sigh.  
"Well, I've got a plan. Do you think she's listening?"  
"Probably…her ears catching every word…crrrrrrrrrrrr…she's got   
beautiful ears…"  
"Okay, now I am going to throw up."  
"So what's da plan?" asked a new voice.  
"Simple. Your girl needs to…crrrrr… what if the Keisatsu are listening   
to this?"  
"They won't be. You have to be pretty lucky to tune in in the first place,   
and they don't even know about it. We're fine."  
"Your girl needs to get in here and spring us all out."  
"Oh, is that all?" Beat sounded scornful. "And how's she supposed to   
do that?"  
"I'll explain when I've got it all worked out. But she's gonna have to   
get busy."  
  
Gum felt she practically lived at Jet Set Radio for the next few days as she and   
the prisoners made plans. She talked to Beat politely, like you'd talk to a   
friend, and she made no mention of anything that had happened between them.   
She wasn't sure herself now how she felt.   
But then, one dark night, all was ready.  
The prison had a high concrete wall around it, which was dotted with   
searchlights, lookout towers, and barbed wire. About eight feet away from that   
was a wire fence which was lower, and which Gum and Combo now climbed.   
Neither were finding it easy. Combo's skates were hindering his progress, and   
although Gum was wearing shoes, she was clutching a large metal pole almost   
as tall as she was.  
Once on the other side of the first barrier, Combo crouched down and let   
Gum balance on his shoulders. Using the pole to balance with, they   
approached the wall.  
"Ready?" whispered Combo.  
Gum nodded. Her heart was thumping. She hadn't realised fully how   
dangerous this was gonna be. One slip, one loss of speed, and they'd be in   
there with the other GGs, and then there'd be no hope for any of them.   
The sensible thing would be to stay away from this building for good.  
But I was never sensible, thought Gum. She hefted her pole. "Let's   
go."  
Combo, gripping her ankles, ran down the length of the wall, and Gum   
swung the pole. It caught the first searchlight, which fizzed out like a dying   
firework. And onto the next one. And the next. The smashes and crackles   
made Gum smile. Maybe, deep down, she was just a vandal after all. And   
underneath her pleasure there was shiny fear – after all, it wasn't impossible   
that she could get fried by doing this. Or picked off by a sniper.  
The pole was swinging wildly, nearly pulling Gum over, but Combo   
was holding her steady. And now all the lights were off, and the prison yard   
was a pool of deep black shadow. Gum took a deep breath, dragged the wire   
cutters out of her pocket, and prepared to dive in.  
The barbed wire was tough, but eventually it parted, leaving a GG-sized   
gap. Gum pushed up from Combo's shoulders, threw her arms over the wall,   
the pole clattering against the stone, twisted it vertical and felt it thud the   
ground, and slid down it. Once on the ground, she ran.  
Above her the watch towers were playing Jet Set Radio at full volume.   
Gum grinned. Some piece of radio-technology had enabled Professor K to   
block out all the other frequencies in the city for a short time, which meant the   
guard towers' communication was down.   
"I'll need to order backup manually!" yelled a guy from one tower,   
hurrying down to ground level. Gum ducked into the shadows, and followed   
him.  
He reached a door, unlocked it – it slid open – and then Gum clouted   
him over the head with the pole, dashed in and slammed the door shut behind   
her.  
She stood in a neon-lit corridor, at the foot of a metal staircase. She   
waited for a few seconds, and then clicked on her wristwatch radio to try and   
pick up Beat. Professor K had said he'd take the frequency jammer off after   
five minutes.  
But there was no Beat. There was no Jet Set Radio. There was just the   
lonely hiss of static.   
What had happened?  
  
Beat stood, listening to their radio. At the moment Jet Set Radio was playing   
nothing but music so that none of the guard towers would hear Professor K   
talking about the escape. Beat's heart was pounding. It seemed too good to be   
true that they'd finally be out of here.  
"Fingers crossed, huh?" said the Noise Tank.   
Beat nodded.  
Suddenly, they heard footsteps, and then the door to the cell was thrown   
open. Two guards stared down at them.  
"What the – don't move!" yelled the first one as the Noise Tank made to   
hide the radio under the bunk. "What's that?"  
"I suppose you wouldn't accept it being an electric toothbrush," Beat   
said.  
The guard scowled. "Well, it's illegal. Get out the way –" And he   
raised his foot and brought it down on the radio.   
There was a miserable crunch. The Noise Tank went pale. He looked   
from the guard to the radio like he couldn't believe what had happened.   
The guard kicked the flattened radio, and said, "You're all on extra   
workload tomorrow. Now, spill. Where'd you get the stuff for this?"  
Beat looked at the Noise Tank. The other rudie was looking over at the   
radio, and then he just touched it slowly. His shoulders were drooping.   
"Geez, grow up," sneered the other guard. She rolled her eyes. "It's   
just a radio."  
And then they both laughed.   
Beat burned with rage, and he got to his feet, and yelled, "Hey, leave   
him alone!"  
"You shut up or you'll be in solitary," the male guard ordered.  
And then Beat punched him in the face.  
His cellmates' mouths dropped open. Beat stood there, feeling blood   
trickle over his knuckles. He didn't feel angry now. He just felt a little dizzy.   
He wasn't the sort of guy to freak out and throw punches normally. He   
couldn't quite believe he'd thrown this one.   
"Ride, you're for id dow." The guard's nosebleed was obstructing his   
speech, but not his movements. He grabbed Beat, pulling his arms behind his   
back, and dragged him out of the cell.  
  
Cube was waiting in the corridor, surrounded by Love Shockers. She couldn't   
stop picking at her fingernails, and she was annoyed by it. She'd faced down   
much worse things than just talking to a guy.  
"He's here!" San hissed to Cube, and immediately all the Love Shockers   
separated and stood in twos and threes, blocking the corridor. San had   
drummed up support all right.   
Slate walked towards Cube, who tried to act calm. "You said you could   
prove it," she said, throat dry. "We're on our own. Get going."  
Slate, she was glad to see, didn't look any less nervous. "Okay. Fine."  
He reached up, and began to unbutton the collar of his uniform, which   
even now still hid the lower half of his face. Cube tensed. Soon she'd know   
for sure.  
There was one long scar which ran down from his ear to his neck, and   
he still had his nose, but…  
…Cube studied his face. She was afraid to move, because – because it   
was Coin. It was. His wry grin, the shape of his jaw, his goatee, and the look   
in his eyes – it was. It was.  
"I believe you," she whispered. And then she kissed him.  
As she felt his arms encircle her waist, she was only dimly aware of the   
Love Shockers cat-calling.  
(Author's Note – any tacky jokes about whether Slate's nose stops him   
kissing are not appreciated. Just enjoy the moment, people.)  
Suddenly –   
"Hey! You know the rules! Get moving!"  
She heard the Love Shockers start to move off, and looked up. Three   
guards were coming towards them. Cube felt her muscles tense, and her blood   
shivered.   
"Hey, quit playing tonsil tennis and scatter," called the nearest guard.  
Cube didn't move. She slipped her hand into Slate's.  
"Didn't you hear me?"  
"I heard you," Slate said. He sounded calm. Cube wondered if he felt   
it.  
"Right –" The guard raised his truncheon. "You're dead."  
It struck Slate's head, and Cube felt her fear snap. She ran forward,   
grabbed the guard's arm, trying to pull the truncheon away, felt something   
strike her face, but hung on, saw Slate duck another blow, and then she was   
really furious and bit down on the hand she was gripping as hard as she could.  
The guard yelled and shook her off. Cube felt her back slam into the   
wall, the spine scraping down the rough concrete. She got to her feet, burning   
to smash, to punch. Then she felt the truncheon hit her face, heard Slate yell,   
"Leave her alone!" But more blows were falling like rocks on her face and   
body, and she fell back into darkness.  
  
Gum walked up the steps, trying to keep calm. Okay. So the radio was out.   
She'd lost her communication. But she was just gonna have to work around   
that.   
On her left was a door, with Dormitory B:Women printed on it. It was   
slightly open, and she could see guard's uniforms hanging on the walls.   
This was the guard's quarters. If anyone came along, she'd be dead   
meat.  
So…  
She carefully pushed the door open a little more, taking care to keep out   
of sight. Waited for someone to yell, but all she could hear was snores. This   
must be the day shift.  
Creeping on feet that suddenly seemed to crash on every step, Gum   
walked over to the nearest hanger. She was tall for her age. The uniform   
looked like it might fit.  
It was dark in there, the only light the orange city-glow through the   
window. Gum slipped the white shirt and black skirt on over her normal   
clothes, kicked off her shoes and forced her legs into the tights, added the cap   
and jacket, and finally buckled the belt, with holsters containing tranquilliser   
gun and truncheon, around her waist. The weight of the weapons gave her   
comfort. She'd go down fighting, at least.  
And then, slipping her shoes back on, she headed back out into the   
corridor.  
  
Beat sat in the pitch darkness, rubbing his wrists where the cuffs dug in. He   
was really kicking himself now. Losing his temper had simply got him exiled   
to the hole – the black basement cell – and there was no way he was gonna   
escape from that. He resisted the urge to bang his head against a wall.  
Suddenly he heard the rattle of keys, and light flickered in, dazzling his   
tired eyes. He saw the silhouettes of two guards, one carrying another figure in   
its arms.   
The guard deposited the figure roughly on the floor, and kicked it.   
"Stupid bitch. That bite really hurt!"  
Beat kept his mouth shut. He had no wish to get another punch in the   
face. As the door slammed and the light vanished, he tried to make out his   
cellmate in the darkness.  
"Uhhh…what's happened?"  
That voice sounded familiar. "Cube?"  
"Beat? Is that you?"  
"Yeah. What did you do to end up here?"  
"I bit one of the guards."  
"You bit him? That's mature."  
"Then they beat me up and now I'm here. Beat, I was talking to   
Slate…they started hurting him…that's why I hurt them…he's not Slate. I   
mean he is, but Slate…" She was running out of breath. "Slate is Coin."  
Beat turned the sentence around in his mind, wondering if it would   
make any more sense backwards. No. It still had the same degree of accuracy   
as 'Onishima is a GG' or 'The Rokkaku corporation have decided to fund a   
let's-all-help-the-rudies project.'  
"What do you mean?" he said at last.  
"Coin managed to escape from them. He – he got hurt, his face got cut   
– a guy fixed him up but that was why he looked different. He told me – I saw   
his face – it was him."  
"Wow." Beat didn't know what else to say.   
"You know what happens now, don't you?" Cube said bitterly.  
"What?"  
"Well, we're both lying in the dark, injured, scared…you know what   
happened the last time we were in this situation." She made a kissing sound.   
"At least this time you can't kick me out of anything."  
Beat let the words sting him. He deserved it. "I'm sorry," he said.  
"You said, in Bantam Street."  
"Why won't you believe me? Look, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I'd kiss   
your feet if I could see them, I'm officially giving you back your GG   
membership –"  
"Wow. Do I get a certificate?"  
"You're a real bitch sometimes, you know that?" Beat said before he   
could stop himself.  
There was a silence, and he waited to get yelled at, but eventually Cube   
just said, "I know. But when you feel screwed around, you don't feel like   
playing the nice girl."  
"Would you come back to the GGs – now – I mean, if we weren't in   
here?"  
She was silent again, and then she said, "Yeah."  
"Great." Beat mentally punched the air. "Not that we're getting out of   
here." He felt gloom settle over him again. "Gum was supposed to be helping   
us all escape tonight."  
"What? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"  
"Because there's no way she'll get us out now we're down here. You   
know you're kept in here for at least a week."  
"Trapped in here with you for seven days. Sounds like the subject for a   
porn movie."  
"Do you have to keep going on about stuff like that? I thought we'd   
sorted it."  
"Sorry. You never know, maybe she'll manage it somehow."  
"I don't think so."  
  
Gum straightened her collar, took a deep breath, and pushed open the dining   
room door.   
A tall female guard swept up to her, blonde hair coiled neatly back in a   
shining knot. "Where have you been? No one's shift ends for another hour."  
"I got delayed." Gum tried to act mature. She was not a rudie. She was   
a guard. She was employed. She had a job.   
"Well, I shouldn't let it happen again. We've got an example to set   
here."  
"Oh, leave her alone, Julia." Another guard cut into the conversation.   
"I'm just trying to cultivate some standards…" Julia rolled her eyes and   
marched off.  
"Thanks." Gum studied her defender. This guard was short and skinny,   
with dark hair slipping down from an untidy ponytail. She had an air of   
strength, but at the moment her face was friendly.  
"You know Julia. She loves to be right. Where have you been,   
anyway?"  
"Private business." Gum tried to look confident.  
"You sneaked out, huh? Well, I won't rat on you. Are you new?"  
"Yeah. I've only just arrived."  
The guard whistled. "Novice, huh? Well, don't let them push you   
around. They may be prisoners, but you gotta remember, they're just like kids   
with marker pens."  
Gum forced herself not to get into a fight about this. It was difficult, but   
she managed to simply nod.  
She looked round, studying the table. "Why are they all in different   
colours, anyway?"  
"Didn't they teach you that?"  
"I was put through in a hurry," Gum said, hoping that would sound   
enigmatic enough to be convincing.  
"Oh, well, the green ones are from the Poison Jam gang…"  
As she explained, Gum surveyed the tables, looking for a sign of GGs.   
She picked out Slate, one eye blacked, and Piranha, but where were all the   
others?  
She put this question to the guard. "I thought there were more GGs?"  
"Oh, well, four are in Block A, and two attacked officers tonight and so   
they've been put in the hole to cool off a bit. A dark-haired girl, and a guy who   
built a radio in his cell."  
Beat and Cube. Gum felt jealousy rise up her throat. Those two.   
Alone. Together. Again.  
And how the hell was she meant to get them out of there?  
Suddenly Piranha glanced up from her conversation, and gave both   
guards a scornful look. And recognised Gum. Her mouth dropped open.  
Shit. Gum marched over to her and grabbed her up by one arm. "What   
do you think you're doing?"  
Piranha caught on. "Let go of me! You've got no right!"  
Gum dragged her away from the table and into the corner. "You and I   
need to have a talk," she said, loudly, and then, whispering, "Well, I'm in. Any   
ideas?"  
"I'm impressed," Piranha hissed back. "Look, you can get us out easy,   
but Beat and Cube are downstairs, and there's a ton of guards there. And they   
don't come out for a week, that's an unbreakable rule."  
"When do you guys go back to your cells?"  
"Soon as mealtime's over. Then we're there till next morning."  
"Right. So, how's this for a plan – I go and unlock all the cells, get you   
guys out, head over to the other block and do the same, and then think about   
Beat and Cube after that?"  
"It's got that GG style, hasn't it?" Piranha said, grinning. "The Love   
Shockers'll be on our side. They all support Cube since she mashed their   
leader –"  
"Of course." Was there anything the Gothic wonderwoman couldn't   
do?  
"The Noise Tanks are on Beat's side cos he tried to help one of them –   
something to do with a radio – the Poison Jammers'll help anyone who gets   
them out of there, and everyone else doesn't have enough unity to be a   
problem. It could work."  
"Okay. Let's roll." Piranha grinned. "You can sit down now," Gum   
said loudly. Piranha skulked back off to her place, and the guard walked over.  
"Wow, you're tougher than you look! Did she give you any trouble?"  
"No. These rudies are all the same." Gum looked at her watch, hoping   
the guard wouldn't notice the radio equipment on it.   
Sooner or later the sleepers in Dormitory B would wake up, and then   
they'd notice a uniform had gone. Gum glanced at her ID, and swallowed. It   
didn't look in the least like her.   
So she had a time limit. Okay. Fine. She'd just have to move fast, that   
was all.  
A bell rang, and a guard yelled, "Okay, get moving!"  
As the rudies filed out of the dining hall, Piranha glanced back, but Gum   
was too busy watching the guards. She was gonna have to fit in or be fitted for   
one of these pretty grey uniforms herself.   
The other guards were walking with the rudies, keeping them in line.   
Gum watched Slate and Piranha. The first lot of rudies were shepherded out of   
the line and put back in their cells. Slate was among them. Piranha was in the   
next group, on the second floor.   
Gum walked slower and slower, until she was right at the back of the   
line. When she was sure no one was looking at her, she left the group and   
strode down the stairs again. Where did the guards go once the prisoners had   
been locked up again? Surely they didn't have any other duties tonight.   
Oh, well, she'd just have to chance it. Gum rubbed her suddenly   
sweating hands on her skirt, clutched her bunch of keys, and set off down the   
corridor.   
  
Cube could hear Beat breathing slowly, evenly, and figured he was asleep.   
Good.  
She hadn't meant to be that angry. But being taken away from Coin   
again – being hurt – and then being stuck with Beat – it had all fused into a   
boiling lump which stuck in her throat. She wanted to hurt. And she wanted   
out.  
She wasn't counting on Gum. Why would that bitch want to come help   
her? Maybe she still fancied Beat, but even if she did want to help, they were   
in max security and set to stay there.   
Suddenly she heard the click of the door unlocking. Surely it couldn't   
be another rudie being brought in?   
It wasn't. Cube squinted and made out a guard's uniform. He was   
alone. He walked inside, and said, "How're you doing?"  
"What's it to you?" Cube said.   
"I thought you looked kinda run down. Wanted to see how you were."  
"Oh, really." Like hell you do, she thought.   
Then she noticed the thin golden line that was marking the edge of the   
door. The open door. Well, well, well.  
"Come on. What've I done to you?"  
"Oh, nothing, I suppose. They just treat you like dirt round here." She   
spoke a little louder.   
"Keep it down. I'm not supposed to be in here."  
Cube looked over at Beat. She couldn't just run and leave him in here.   
"Then why are you?" she asked. "Oh, and sit down. You're making me   
nervous standing up there."  
He did so, sitting close to her, and said, "I've heard a lot about you.   
Always fighting, right?"  
He gently took her hand in his, and then she heard a click, and felt the   
pressure of the cuffs on her wrists vanish.   
"I hope you won't turn violent now. I heard you're pretty tough."  
"You could say that." She addressed her remarks to Beat. He turned   
over in his sleep, but didn't wake up. "I'm not afraid to get what I want. If you   
see what I mean." Geez, I sound so cheesy, she thought.   
"I think I do." And he leant over her, and kissed her.  
Cube forced herself not to shove him off and then spit. Think of   
tagging, she told herself as his tongue slid around in her mouth. You're   
tagging the bus terminal. The buses. First the purple, and then the blue, but no   
red otherwise it'll look like a Love Shocker tag…She felt his hands make their   
way under her shirt. But how far was she going to have to go? Wake up, Beat!   
she yelled silently.   
She could shove him off her, try and overpower him. But he was a big   
guy. If she lost the fight, he'd lock them up again, and the noise would   
probably alert the other guards. He'd stopped now. But she had no other   
option.  
"Oh…" she gasped, taking deep, fake breaths, "Kiss me again!" This   
she did yell. Beat muttered something.  
"Ssh." He laughed, and this time pushed her down onto the mattress.   
Every muscle in Cube's body was trying to struggle against him, and she had to   
force them to keep still. She closed her eyes – not that that changed much –   
and felt his hands all over her skin, touching her hips, her stomach, her   
thighs…She wouldn't be able to keep this up. Even as she gasped and moaned,   
she knew it wasn't going to wake Beat. And she couldn't run without Beat.   
Could she?  
As his tongue brushed her ear, she considered doing just that. But she   
was a GG now – and she wasn't going to abandon Beat. Even if he had done   
the same to her.  
If she yelled for help, that door would be locked again, and they'd have   
lost their chance. What they'd do after they got out she didn't know, but at   
least they'd be in the light.  
He'd got her shirt half off now. If she didn't do something in the next   
few seconds, then things were going to get really gross.   
  
(Please r + r! Part Five coming soon.)  



	5. BreakOut Part Two

Chapter 05 – Breakout Part Two  
  
(For Disclaimer please see above. Thanks to all those who reviewed – luv   
y'all! Please r+r this one too!)  
  
Gum crept along the concrete corridor, a crowd of rudies behind her.   
"How're we going to get out of the building?" Tab asked her.   
Gum shrugged. The other guards were all back in their quarters. Going   
through there would be madness.  
Wait a minute. All back in their quarters…she felt her mouth curve into   
a smile, and glanced down at the keys on her belt.  
"Hang on," she said to Tab. "I'll be right back."  
She crept up the door leading to the guard's quarters. It wasn't locked,   
because this corridor was a restricted area anyway.   
She carefully twisted her own key in the lock, and then strolled back to   
the others. That wouldn't stop the guards for long, but it might slow them   
down. And they needed all the time they could get.  
She looked back at the horde of skaters. Piranha had been right, to an   
extent. The Noise Tanks and Poison Jammers had listened to her either   
because she represented escape or because she was a friend of Beat's, and   
apparently he was cool in their eyes, and most of the Love Shockers had   
practically fallen at her feet because of whatever Cube had done.  
Most of the Love Shockers.  
Gum glanced over to where three Love Shockers were walking in a   
small, lonely group. Most of the gangs were sticking together, but these three   
were isolated in a crowd of yellows. What had they done?  
The tallest Love Shocker met her eyes, and glared at her. Gum glared   
back, thinking, What's your problem?  
She saw the Love Shocker detach herself from her trio and head towards   
the front of the group.   
"Listen, GG," she hissed as she reached Gum's side. "I don't know   
whether you're gonna rescue your little dark-haired friend, but you just tell her   
from me if she gets out that Kell is going to get her and she is going to be   
dead."  
"I don't take Love Shocker messages," Gum retorted. "Tell her   
yourself."  
But what about Beat and Cube? she asked herself as the Love Shocker   
sneered and walked away. There were still guards down in the basement. It'd   
be pretty hard to get them out.  
And do you want to? whispered a treacherous voice at the back of her   
mind.  
Yes, she snapped to it. Beat's a GG. I have to stick up for him even if I   
want to punch his face in. And maybe Combo is right – maybe I would miss   
him…  
And Cube? the voice demanded. She's not a GG, you hate her guts, and   
you know she deserves to get left behind really…  
They'd reached the main door now. Gum took a deep breath,   
straightened the collar of her uniform, and passed her ID over the electronic   
scanner.   
A red light passed over it, and then over her face, and then ID does not   
match subject's data flashed up on the screen. And then an alarm started to   
wail, red lights to flash, and she heard banging from back along the corridor as   
the guards realised things weren't quite right.  
A group of heavy-looking Poison Jammers rushed forward and started   
kicking the door, but they couldn't make it open. Gum tried to think through   
the flickering and the wails. What could they do now?  
"Hey, GG, you should've asked me."   
She turned to see a Noise Tank sauntering towards her.   
"I'll sort it," he said, dropped to his knees in front of the scanner, took   
out some strange looking tool, and began to poke around inside. Gum could   
hear louder bangs now. The guards trying to break out. How long had they   
got?  
"Uh – sorry to bother you…but what about Cube?"   
She looked round to see a worried-looking Love Shocker.   
"Yeah." Slate turned. "Come on, we got to go get her. And Beat."  
"We don't have time!" Gum snapped.   
Suddenly there was a creak, and the door swung open. The night air   
rushed in, and everyone cheered.   
"Just go!" Gum yelled. "My friend took care of the watchtowers." You   
better have done, Combo, she added silently.   
They rushed out. She saw the gates swinging open, Combo giving her   
the thumbs-up signal, guards lying stunned all over the courtyard. And then   
she turned back to meet the other GGs and the Love Shocker's eyes.  
"Oh, all right!" she snapped. "Don't blame me if we all get caught   
again, that's all!"  
"Hang on," Piranha said to the GGs. "There's no point in us all going.   
I'll go with Slate, and you guys can head out."  
Gum pictured Beat's face, the way he kissed her, the smile that sent   
shivers down her spine…even if he was a two-timing love rat, could she really   
abandon him?  
"Hey, wait," she called. "I'm coming too."  
And they dashed back down the corridor.  
  
Cube jumped as the alarm tore into the silence. The guard leapt off her.   
"Sorry," he said, blowing her a kiss. "I'll be back."  
He made for the door, but Cube, mind racing, hooked her foot round his   
ankle. It pulled him off balance, and he crashed satisfyingly to the floor.  
"What's going on?" She saw Beat sit up, yawning.  
"Don't ask, just move it!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him out into   
the corridor.  
She was dazzled by the light, and her eyes closed for a minute, but not   
before she'd seen the three other guards out there. "Get them!" one of them   
yelled.  
Blinking madly to try and clear the coloured spots from her vision, Cube   
stepped back. If they grabbed her, that'd be it. Back and back they stepped,   
the guards closing in on them, and then – in the best traditions of cornered   
characters – she felt her back touch the wall.  
"Shoot," she muttered. "Beat, I'm sorry."  
"No problem. Any ideas, though?"  
Cube shook her head, leaning back as the guards marched towards them.   
And then she heard people running towards them.  
Her heart pounded as Piranha, San, Gum and Slate – she still couldn't   
quite think of him as Coin – came dashing down the corridor. Gum was   
clutching an iron bar that brushed the ceiling. She used it to tap the guards on   
the heads like boiled eggs, and as they crumpled to the ground, she said, "Well,   
get moving."  
Beat and Cube picked their way carefully over the unconscious guards.   
Slate hurried over to Cube. "Are you okay?"  
She shrugged. "I'm fine." And stretched up and kissed him.  
"Hello? We're, like, escaping here!" San called to them. "Does anyone   
have a bucket of water for these two?"  
Cube reluctantly let go of Slate, and the rudies strode away.  
  
As they hurried across the prison yard, San and Slate were walking with Cube,   
and Gum suspected Piranha was deliberately keeping up the front of the line.   
Which meant that she – Gum – was forced to walk with Beat.  
"Hey," he said at last. "How's it hanging? I would give you a hug but   
I'm a little tied up at the moment." He lifted his cuffed wrists.  
Gum ignored him. She could feel herself blushing.  
"Come on, you spoke to me on the radio, didn't you? Anyway, I   
thought you'd be glad to see me again. By the way, I love that uniform –"  
"Beat," Gum said, "Shut up. I'm the only one who has the key to those   
cuffs, so I suggest you quit annoying me unless you want to make Keisatsu   
bracelets a permanent part of your outfit."  
"Fine."  
They walked out of the gates, and back into the Benten-cho streets.   
Beat took a deep breath of air, and sighed happily.   
"Free at last," he said.  
Gum glanced at him despite herself. "Guess it was pretty bad in there."  
"Oh, I could handle it. It would've been even better if you'd been there   
too…"  
"As a chat-up line, that stinks."  
"So sue me. I've been up all night for I don't know how long, listening   
to you. My mind's not at its best."  
Gum felt herself grinning, and quickly forced her face back into a bored   
expression.   
"We'd better get undercover," she said. "There might be some guards   
or cops hanging around. And none of us look exactly inconspicuous."  
"You can say that again," Beat said.   
They walked faster, dodging round partygoers as they went. Gum   
yawned. What time was it now?   
"Wish I could see Onishima's reaction when he finds out about this,"   
Beat said.  
"Hey, don't get too happy. What if he's lurking around –"  
"Gotcha!" yelled a familiar voice, and Onishima sprang out from a side   
alley, flanked by about four other cops.  
" – now? I don't believe it. I just don't believe it. Does he have a script   
or something?"  
"Probably. Run!"  
Gum quickly realised that outrunning the police was not half as fun   
without skates. They dashed down another street, past a Chinese restaurant,   
around a group of dustbins, and then up a flight of stairs and onto the roof.   
Gum's knees were aching as they reached the top. It was a familiar area.   
She'd ground away along the ventilation shaft curving away from this loads of   
times. But it all seemed much higher – and much more difficult – when she   
didn't have her skates.  
"Come on!" yelled Piranha, and stepped onto the shaft.   
"Are you crazy? We can't do that!" Gum looked down at the rooftops   
below her. For the first time the view made her shudder.  
"What else can we do? Listen!"   
The pounding feet of the cops echoed up from below the floor.  
Gum took a deep breath, and put one foot onto the shaft. She thought   
she felt it move, and shuddered. But she forced herself to put her other foot on,   
and then began to walk forward.   
Piranha was at the front, balancing like a circus performer. Then San.   
Slate and Cube. Then Gum, and behind her Beat. He didn't seem too happy.   
She glanced back, and saw he was wobbling.   
"It's hard to balance with the bracelets," he said, and grinned, but he   
was pale.   
And then there was a shot.  
Beat jumped – and staggered back – Gum reached to grab him – her   
hand closed on the front of his shirt – she felt herself falling, dragged down by   
his weight – then someone caught hold of her blouse and dragged her back –   
the shaft hit her stomach – the lights spun dizzyingly below her.   
Gum swallowed. She was lying on top of the shaft. Beat had fallen off   
it, and she was the only thing stopping him becoming a smear on the pavement.   
And then someone was holding on to her, stopping her from being dragged   
over. She looked round to see Cube, who was sitting on the bar, swinging her   
legs, and clutching Gum's shirt.  
"You okay?" Cube said.   
"I'm fine – but my fingers are starting to hurt…"  
"Uh-oh." Cube looked at Beat. "You learnt how to fly yet?"  
"Ha, ha, very funny." Beat gulped. "That old GG sense of humour is   
really coming back. Anyone got a parachute they'd like to lend me?"  
"Where's Onishima?" asked Gum. "He's not on the roof."  
"Maybe they've gone down to catch us."  
Gum looked down, and the view wobbled. She dragged her eyes back   
up to the horizon. "I wish you hadn't said that."  
"You guys okay?" San yelled. Gum felt the shaft vibrate as she walked   
back towards them. "Boy, it's lucky you're all friends, isn't it?"  
"Yeah…" Beat swallowed. "We're friends, aren't we? Gum? Cube?"  
"Oh, yes. We're friends, right, Gum?"  
Gum wriggled round to look at Cube, who was grinning.   
She won't, she told herself. She may be mad with you, but she won't   
drop you. She won't. Will she?  
She could remember with gloomy clarity how she'd toyed with the idea   
of abandoning Beat and Cube earlier.   
"You know," Beat said, "I think this would be a really, really good time   
to forgive and forget, huh?"  
"Well, seeing as I'm a GG again –" Cube began.  
"Huh? You're not a GG!" Gum glared at her.  
"Yes, I am. Beat gave me back my membership while we were locked   
up together."  
Gum transferred her glare to Beat, who was starting to sweat.   
"Let's not let a little thing like this come between us…" he said.  
"You went behind my back," Gum hissed. "You're lucky I don't drop   
you right now!"  
"Oh, and why is it such a bad thing that I'm a GG?" snapped Cube.   
Gum felt the other girl's fingers tense on her blouse. The collar tightened   
round her throat. "Look, we made a mistake, okay? I'm sorry we upset you. I   
didn't plan it or anything. But we were scared, and we were hurt, and he didn't   
exactly fight me off. Don't keep putting all the blame on me!"  
Gum turned away, glowering and feeling her hands curl into fists. She   
knew Cube was probably right, but she hated being told off, especially by   
someone her own age.   
"Gum?" Beat whispered. She looked down at him, and despite her rage   
her heart beat faster.  
"I'm sorry I hurt you," he said simply.  
Gum felt tears sting her eyes, and blinked. Then she smiled. And then,   
with her free hand, she reached for the keys on her belt, and leaning over, the   
blood rushing to her head, she unlocked Beat's cuffs.  
"Thanks," he said, and grinned back at her. "Now, anyone got any ideas   
about how to get out of this?"  
"Yeah, hurry up, I'm getting pins and needles," Piranha yelled from up   
ahead.   
"I'll try and pull you up," Gum said. "Cube, hold onto me tight, okay?"  
"Sure thing."  
Gum tried to lift him with both hands, the muscles in her arms gasping.   
As he moved a little higher, he grabbed the shaft, and tried to pull himself up –   
– there was a horrible creak, and the shaft tipped.  
"Stop!" yelled Piranha. "You're pulling it off the wall!"  
Gum swallowed. She could feel the bar underneath her slowly turning.   
"This isn't good, is it?" San said.  
"Hang on," Slate said. "Where are the cops?"  
There was a few minutes' silence while the rudies glanced around.   
"I think they're down there. Yeah, I can just see Onishima…" Gum   
squinted, trying to ignore the huge gap between her and the ground. It had   
never bothered her on skates, so why should it bother her now?   
"Okay," Slate said. "Piranha, can you get onto more solid ground?"  
"Yeah. I can crawl along and jump onto one of the roofs," the other GG   
called.  
"Then do it."  
Gum felt the shaft wobble as Piranha began to crawl. After a few   
minutes, she heard her yell, "Right, I'm okay."  
"Okay. Uh – Love Shocker – you go next."  
"Slate, what do we do when you've gone?" Gum asked.  
"I haven't thought of that yet. Give me time. Gum, if Cube lets go, will   
you fall?"  
"I'd rather not test that, if you don't mind."  
"Okay…so Cube is basically keeping you two alive…"  
Gum and Beat gulped.  
"Right, I've got it. You just all keep moving along, okay, until you can   
get off this thing onto the roof."  
None of the three looked very happy at this, but it seemed the only   
option. Cube dragged Gum along the shaft, and Gum, her wrists deadened by   
Beat's weight on them, gripped hold of his jacket and tried not to look at the   
ground.  
"Is it just me, or is the shaft starting to wobble?" Cube said as they   
inched along.  
Gum swallowed. "It's not just you."  
"Come on, we're nearly there!" Beat called up from below them.   
Gum saw the roof slide into the line of vision, about six feet below her.   
"Gum?" Slate yelled to her. "You can drop Beat now!"  
"Are you totally sure about that?" Beat said.   
"Okay, Beat, you're over the roof, are you ready?" Gum tried not to   
think about what would happen if she was wrong.   
"No…"  
"Go!"   
Her aching fingers uncurled from Beat's shirt, and he fell.  
"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh – oof!" Beat crashed onto the roof. A few tiles   
clattered to the pavement below.   
"Right, okay, Cube, you can let go of Gum!"  
Before Gum had time to get scared, she was falling – head first – icy air   
stinging her skin – there was a crash, and she felt a bruising pain in her jaw.  
She lay still for a moment, feeling rough sandy tiles under her, hearing   
someone's radio softly bleeping away. She could taste blood in her mouth.  
"Uh-oh…" Gum recognised Cube's voice. "Are you okay?"  
Gum sat up. The lower half of her mouth was agonizingly painful, and   
she seemed to have bitten her tongue.   
"I'm fine," she tried to say, but it was hard to speak.  
"Well, she's talking. Here, you want to lean on me?" Piranha gave her   
a hand up. Gum looked for Beat. He was groaning and rubbing his back.  
"You guys could've been killed!" San said. She was pale. "Geez, is   
being in the GGs always like this?"  
"Oh, this is normal for us. Saving the city from a demon is weekly   
routine, and as for Onishima…" Beat groaned again.  
"Right. Let's get you two invalids home," Piranha said, and the rudies   
hobbled away.  
  
The other GGs had made it back to the garage earlier. San was going to head   
back to the Love Shocker HQ, but she promised not to 'be too hard on the GGs   
when I go out tagging. I mean, you're pretty battered…"  
When Gum, Beat, Slate, Cube and Piranha walked inside, the other five   
started cheering. Piranha and Garam rushed into each other's arms, Tab high-  
fived everyone he could reach, and Mew hugged them all. They partied long   
into what was left of the night, and made a bonfire of all the uniforms.  
Eventually everyone dozed off, Cube curled up in Slate's arms, Piranha   
in Garam's, Gum in Beat's – though she told herself she was only doing it   
because she was cold – and Mew in Yo-Yo's (though she'd got pretty high…)  
  
Cube struggled out of a dream she couldn't remember. There'd been a   
knocking…outside…   
Sitting up, she looked towards the door of the garage. Her sleepy mind   
registered the note shoved underneath it.  
She gently disentangled herself from Slate's arms, and walked over to   
the door. The garage floor was icy cold as she knelt down and picked up the   
note. It had her name on the front.  
Yawning, Cube unfolded it, and read:  
  
Hi, Cube, it's San. Look, when I got back I heard that Kell's out to get you. I   
can't go into all the details now, but it's pretty bad. Meet me at Shibuya bus   
terminal at 4 am – it'd be dangerous for me to be seen with you in daylight.   
I'll wait till 5, then go, but try and make it if you can.  
  
A wave of shivering ran through Cube's ribcage. Kell. Over the sound of the   
rain on the roof, she heard the Love Shocker's voice: "You know what   
happened to the last bitch who hit me?  
Well, she wasn't gonna be able to doze off again now. Cube let the note   
drop to the floor, and glanced at her watch. It was 3:57 am.   
Outside it was raining heavily, and hard to skate fast. Cube moved   
through the black and silent streets, the rain running down the back of her neck,   
dodging the splashes of occasional cars. She knew she was nervous. A stray   
cat yowled and she jumped. Dustbins were blown over and she nearly had a   
heart attack. But eventually she reached the bus terminal.  
Not that that looked any more reassuring. It crouched under a black,   
bubbling sky, the trees shaking like wet dogs. There were three buses parked   
there that looked like they'd just picked up the residents of a ghost town.   
Cube looked around, shivering as an icy breeze rushed over her skin,   
and saw the flash of Love Shocker pink at one of the bus stops. She breathed a   
sigh of relief, and skated towards San, who was leaning against a rail, head   
down.  
"San!" she called over the hiss of the rain. "Over here!"  
San didn't look up.  
Cube reached her. "Don't tell me you're asleep." She shook San's   
shoulder –   
– the Love Shocker was cold as frozen fish.  
Cube felt her heartbeats slow. Hand shaking, she reached out and lifted   
San's chin.  
Then she wished she hadn't.  
The Love Shocker's jaw, neck and chest were blotched with blood.   
Cube saw the grinning cut across her throat, and slammed her knuckles to her   
mouth to stop herself screaming.  
What had happened? This was no Keisatsu ambush. Bullets, yes,   
beatings, yes, hit-and-run accidents, yes, but the Keisatsu didn't just do one   
slice across the throat. Did they?   
And even if they did, they wouldn't leave her here for the public to trip   
over.  
Then it had to be Kell. Kell had found out about San's meeting and   
freaked. Which meant she could be still here now.  
Cube didn't even want to move, but she forced herself to turn her head,   
look around the terminal. There was no sound but the endless splashing. And   
it seemed empty. But she was suddenly conscious of how many corners it had,   
how many shadows, how many places to hide…  
She took a deep breath of damp air, and turned her attention back to San,   
and realised the Love Shocker had been tied to the rail to make it look as if she   
were leaning there. Someone had wanted her to think everything was okay.   
And Cube didn't have to struggle to guess who that someone was.  
Her instincts were screaming at her to get out of the bus terminal now.   
But she couldn't leave San posed like some sort of corpse's fashion plate. She   
began to pick at the knots binding the other girl's arms to the rail. They were   
damp and swollen with rain, and her nails ached as she tried to undo them, but   
at last she succeeded. San slumped to the ground as though she were tired.   
Cube looked at her watch. 4:20.   
Wait. San had written to say that she'd meet her at four. That was when   
the note had been delivered. If she'd come straight there…Cube had reached   
the shelter at about 4:10, but San had already been dead and set up then. And   
surely they should have reached the terminal at about the same time anyway?  
So San didn't deliver that note. Cube tried to stop trembling as the wind   
flicked the back of her neck. Kell set me up all the time.   
I've got to get out of here.  
Suddenly she heard the hiss of skates cutting through rainy ground, and   
then someone's hands slammed into her back. Cube's skates shot from under   
her, and she fell heavily, the icy puddle water biting into her clothes.  
She looked round, and saw Kell standing over her.  
"Geez, you GGs are so predictable. You really fell for it!" Kell   
snickered. Her skate caught Cube in the ribs, knocking the breath out of her.   
"Still, I've never liked a challenge."  
"You killed her," Cube shouted, rage suddenly filling her head. She sat   
up. "What are you, a psycho? What had she ever done to you?"  
"Don't let's get into that sort of conversation. Because you know what   
I'm going to do now, don't you?"  
"Surprise me," Cube hissed through chattering teeth.  
"I'm going to kill you too." From out of her belt, Kell dragged a sharp,   
red stained knife. "It'll be such fun."  
  
(Well? Feedback! R+R needed now! Beg! Beg…)  



	6. Love Shocker Showdown

Chapter 06  
Love Shocker Showdown  
  
(Disclaimer – don't own JSR. OK? Honestly, why do we bother?  
By the way, I'd just like to make a point to any small minded people that   
just because Kell is an evil lesbian, this does not mean all lesbians are evil.   
Most are perfectly nice people. Kell would be evil whether she were straight,   
gay, bi or unsure. Right? (Phew, that's got the political correctness people off   
my trail…) )  
  
Gum groaned. Someone was shaking her awake. She rolled over, buried her   
face in Beat's shoulder and tried to return to the dream she'd been having   
involving him, her and a deserted beach.  
"Gum, wake up, this is serious!"  
Gum peeled her eyelids apart and focused grumpily on Slate. "What?"   
she snapped. Or tried to snap. With a swollen tongue and bruised jaw talking   
was not an easy option.  
"Read this." He handed her a rain-spotted piece of paper.   
Gum read it twice, trying to force her sleepy brain to take in the words.   
"Some Love Shocker's after Cube? So what? The Love Shockers hate our   
guts anyway."  
"Yeah, but I heard stuff about this girl. She's different."  
"Smarter than the average Love Shocker?" Gum sneered. "Which   
wouldn't be too difficult…" Her jaw was becoming painful.  
"Look, I'm heading out to the bus terminal right now. If I'm not back in   
half an hour, come after me."  
"Why?"  
"The last girl who upset this Kell was found sliced to ribbons in Park   
Street, okay?"  
Gum swallowed as he continued, "All the rudies knew who did it, but no   
one was brave enough to say anything."  
"How come I didn't hear about it?"  
"Maybe because whenever anyone mentions Love Shockers you put   
your fingers in your ears. Look, Kell's dangerous and she hates Cube's guts."  
"Wait…" Gum thought back. "When I got you guys out last night, a   
Love Shocker said – said to tell Cube something like Kell was gonna get her   
and she'd be dead. You think it's an ambush?"  
"Yeah. I'm off. And remember what I said. Come in half an hour."  
  
Cube leapt to her feet. Kell moved like a snake, and Cube saw the knife bite   
down her arm. Blood trickling down her wrist, she turned and ran. If she   
could just get back to the garage…  
As she approached the exit, two Love Shockers dashed forward,   
blocking her way. Cube saw the knives in their hands and stopped. She   
clenched her fists.   
"Go on, try it, GG!" sneered one Love Shocker. "I'd just love to slice   
you a bit. Don't let Kell have all the fun."  
Cube turned, and headed to the other exit, the one that led to the hill,   
trying to ignore the jeering laughter. But two more Love Shockers appeared   
there, and she dashed away. Her heart was going at light speed. She had to get   
out – had to –   
The half pipe. Did they know about that? Please don't let them, Cube   
prayed as she skated. Please…  
She was nearly there, and it was devoid of Love Shockers. She ran   
forward –   
" – Go on, GG. Let's see you crawl through barbed wire."  
Someone pushed her, and she fell against the wire they'd stretched   
across the top of the steps. She hardly noticed the scratches. She was trapped.  
"Come on. Fun's over."  
Someone grabbed her wrist. Terror shot up her spine, and she turned   
and punched the Love Shocker in the mouth. Then she dashed forward, hardly   
thinking about where she was going, just desperate to get away.   
She saw the green railings in the distance. Jumped, ground along them,   
slipping and sliding on the wet metal, jumped, ground again, and jumped again,   
onto the side of the steps to the bridge. She could hear someone following her,   
laughing, as she turned right and charged along the side of the walkway. They   
were catching up. She tried to think clearly.  
And then a hand shoved her back, and she fell off the bridge.  
She landed on her knees, which seemed to burst into agony. Struggled   
to stand, but the pain made her cry out and she dropped back down.  
She heard the sound of skates, and saw the Love Shockers move to   
circle her. Then Kell came towards her, kicking water into her face.  
"GG, you disappoint me," she said. "I was hoping for some   
excitement."  
"Yeah, right. Don't pretend you're not loving this." Cube looked up at   
them, hoping they'd think the agonized tears in her eyes were rain.  
"You're right. This is the best high I've had in years. Honestly, think of   
the trouble you could've saved yourself if you'd just been a good girl earlier."  
"Drop dead." Cube tried to think tough. If she didn't, she'd collapse.   
"You're a sick psycho bitch and I'd rather kiss Goji Rokkaku than you. No, in   
fact I'd rather kiss Onishima than you. No – I'd rather have an orgy with both   
of them than kiss you!"  
Kell sneered. "Right," she said to the other Love Shockers. "Get her   
up. It's party time."  
Cube felt hands on her arms, pulling her to her feet. Putting any weight   
on her them sent daggers of pain ripping down from her knees, so she let the   
Love Shockers drag her. Not that she was gonna submit. She was gonna go   
down fighting – well, hopefully not go down fighting. Escape fighting. Yeah.   
They propped her up against the pole supporting the roof of one of the   
bus shelters. Kell leaned in close to her. "Look," she said. "If you want, we   
can play this the easy way. You do what I say, and I won't cut your throat.   
You might even enjoy it."  
"I don't believe you," Cube said. She watched the knife Kell held. The   
Love Shocker was stroking it, like it was a pet. The blood was rubbing off on   
her fingers. Cube saw San lying there, out of the corner of her eye, and fear   
and anger tightened her throat.   
"I'm not making any bargains with you," she said.  
"Your loss." Kell clicked her fingers, and Cube felt damp fingers grab   
her wrists, pull them back behind the pole. Rope snaked around them. She   
tried to break free, but someone punched her in the stomach and by the time   
she'd caught her breath, her hands were literally tied.  
"This time we're going to have a fair fight," Kell said. "No running   
away."  
"Oh, sure it's fair. There's one of me and five of you, I can't walk, and   
you just tied me up. Sure. Guess you're scared you'll lose again."  
A few of the Love Shockers tittered, and Kell whirled on them, face   
ugly. "You looking for the same as her?" She pointed to San.  
"Yeah, your leader's hardly on your side, is she?" Cube said. "She   
sliced her up real –"  
Kell punched her in the mouth. Cube felt blood well up over her teeth   
and dribble down her face, warm on her rain-frozen skin.   
"Right," Kell said, "You know I've always liked the taste of blood…"  
Cold fingers forced Cube's chin up, and Kell's lips closed on hers.   
Cube bit down on them, and Kell shrieked.  
Cube forced down a grin as Kell spun away from her, hands pressed to   
her mouth. She could see blood welling between the Love Shocker's fingers.  
"You are dead," Kell growled. "And I mean totally."  
She grinned, blood spotting her teeth, and held up the knife. "Ever   
wondered what would happen if this got stuck in your eye?"  
"You wouldn't," Cube gasped.   
"You bet your sweet life I would. And I will."  
Kell raised the knife. Cube squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth.  
Then there was a gasp, a yelp, and she felt the knife blade stab down –   
under her eye – through her skin to scrape her cheekbone – she screamed –   
then it was pulled out and she heard someone – Slate – yelling her name. She   
opened her eyes.   
Slate was fighting with Kell. He was gripping her wrists, holding the   
knife away from him. The other Love Shockers weren't helping her, but they   
weren't helping him either. They just stood there, stunned.  
Now they were fighting over the knife, Slate trying to force Kell's   
fingers apart, her spitting rage, him angrier than Cube had ever seen him, either   
as Slate or Coin, neither giving an inch.   
Suddenly Cube felt fingers on her wrists, undoing the rope. She looked   
round to see one of the Love Shockers, who put a finger to her lips and then   
untied the final knot. Cube wanted to rush forward and smash Kell's face, but   
there was no chance. Throwing herself into the battle would lead to someone   
getting killed.  
And then Kell kicked out – Slate doubled over – and Kell shoved him –   
as he fell to the ground she dropped to her knees and stabbed – once – twice –   
three times –   
Cube heard someone screaming. She felt her throat grow raw and   
realised it was her. Kell looked round, and her bloodstained mouth grinned.   
"Oh, dear," she said. "Did I kill him?"  
Cube rushed forward. She heard Kell gasp as she slammed her down   
onto the ground. Raindrops splattered them both, but Cube didn't care. She'd   
killed him – killed Coin – she punched and punched, barely registering the   
blows she was receiving herself, wanting only to hurt – the knife slid down her   
arm again – glittered – Coin was dead – dead –   
She had her hands round Kell's throat, and everything was quiet.  
"Kill me…" Kell's chest rose and fell, quick and frightened, but she   
had a smirk on her face. "Go on…won't…it won't bring him back…"  
It was worse than any punch Cube could've been given. She looked   
over at Slate. He lay there, blood mingling with rainwater. He'd come to save   
her…  
Kell moved too quick for her to realise. Hands gripped her shoulders –   
she saw the pole rushing towards her – then there was a crunch. The impact   
rang through her head, and her vision spun.  
She saw Kell lean over her, and she felt something press against her   
stomach. Then it was gone, and she felt something damp and warmer than the   
rain soaking her shirt. She touched the stain, and her palm came up red.   
She's stabbed me, Cube realised, oddly calm about it.   
"Let's roll," Kell was saying to the other Love Shockers. Then she   
turned, and kicked Cube's knees. Cube screamed as the pain bit into her nerves   
again, and Kell snickered.  
"Can you still hear me?" she said, dropping down to Cube's level.   
"Well, listen good anyway. I think I showed you what happens to people who   
mess with me. Next time you do what I say. Get it?"  
Cube looked up at her, the scene dancing and wobbling like a distorted   
mirror. The pain was making her sick.   
"I said, got it, GG?"  
"Bitch," Cube gasped.   
"Whatever. See y'around, GG."  
And finally, finally they were gone.   
Cube pushed herself up on her hands, and dragged herself over to Slate.   
There was a huge red stain on his jacket, and she couldn't tell if he was   
breathing or not.  
"Slate?" she called. "Slate, Coin – whoever you are – oh, god, please   
don't be dead…"  
There was more blood, slowly sinking into his shirt from the wounds   
below. She had to stop it. She put her arms round him, rested on top of him.   
He was cold, but not as cold as San had been. She reflected that when they   
were found, dead together, there'd be sniggering about it for days afterwards.   
Two rudies, entwined together passionately beneath the rainy skies…  
She felt tears brim up in her eyes, but let them come. If she couldn't cry   
now, when could she?  
"Don't die," she whispered. "I mean it, Coin. I need you. Geez, you'd   
laugh at this if you could hear me, wouldn't you? But you can't die. I mean,   
I'd have no one to draw buck teeth on Mew's Westlife posters with. And you   
taught me how to skate, and you always said you'd give me pointers…"  
She rested her head on his shoulder. She was starting to feel dizzy. The   
rain beat down on them both.  
  
(Phew! Well, it nearly killed me *sniffs pathetically and puts on 'suffering   
heroine' face* but I've done it. I've finished a fight scene. Now, you wouldn't   
let me have put in all that effort for nothing, would you? Or, to put it another   
way, R+ R OR DIE!  
Sorry, I'm having mood swings again. Anyway, apologies for this   
shortness, if not sweetness, of this chapter. I'll put the next part up soon!)  
  



	7. Recuperation and Revenge

Chapter 07 – Recuperation and Revenge  
  
(Blah, disclaimer, blah, blah, yadda yadda yadda.)  
(Charles Rocketboy Reilly, I warn you now you may not like this chapter – but   
read it anyway! And don't flame too much…)  
(Sorry it's rather long, but I guess I got carried away.)  
  
Cube opened her eyes to the garage ceiling. She ached all over, but she was   
warmer – and dryer – but there was something wrong –   
Slate!  
She struggled to sit up, but someone pushed her back down. Cube   
blinked, and realised it was Piranha. "You okay?"  
"What's happened to Slate?" Cube said. "You – I mean – he's not –"  
"Relax," Piranha said. "He's fine. We found both of you, and called an   
ambulance – we were pretty worried you'd both get arrested again, but you   
looked so cut up we didn't have a choice. Anyway, we got away with it   
because Tab and Mew staged a raid in the furthest corner of Benten-cho and   
made sure all the cops knew about it, and so you and Slate were left alone."  
Cube's heart stopped pounding, and she managed to start breathing   
normally. She looked around and realised she was lying on the garage sofa,   
covered by a blanket.   
"What happened, anyway?" Piranha's voice was concerned. "There   
was a dead Love Shocker next to you guys. Someone have a little territorial   
dispute?"  
Cube shook her head. "It wasn't – that Love Shocker was a friend."   
She felt tears sting in her eyes, and quickly blinked them away. "It was another   
one. You know, Kell – that leader we were locked up with. She tricked me –   
she wrote the note – and then she was waiting, with four others. Slate came to   
save me."  
She closed her eyes, and saw Kell, posing with the knife, her mouth   
swimming red. 'Ever wonder what would happen if this got stuck in your eye?'   
The ropes cutting into her wrists, The Love Shocker laughing, rain running   
down her face like blood…  
"Cube?"  
She opened her eyes. It was okay. She was dry, and safe, and there   
were no knives. But her hands were clenched into fists, and her nails were   
digging into her palms so hard that her fingers ached.  
"I'm fine," she said, feeling Piranha look at her. "Where are the others,   
anyway?"  
"Gone out into Shibuya. You see, we've been pretty busy trying to   
create distractions for the cops that are far away from Shibuya hospital, so we   
haven't really been tagging in it much. In fact, I think this is the first time   
we've gone out there. And, also, we didn't want to run into Little Miss Psycho   
until we knew the full story from you."  
"When did I get back here?" Cube asked.  
"Last night. The others headed out this morning."  
Suddenly the door flew open and crashed against the wall, and Beat and   
Gum skated in, looking murderous.  
"What is it?" Piranha said.  
"The Love Shockers," Gum snapped out through gritted teeth.   
"What about them?"  
"They're gonna be dead." Gum threw her spray paint at the wall and   
then skated off into the kitchen. They heard her crashing cupboard doors, and   
the occasional smash of a plate.  
"We headed out to tag the town," Beat said. "We decided to hit the bus   
shelter first…"  
  
Beat skated along, enjoying the warm sun and Gum's hand in his. She   
appeared to have forgiven him at last. Already his – uh – slip up – with Cube   
seemed centuries ago.   
"Bus shelter?" she said.  
"Sure." Beat would've gone wherever she'd suggested.   
They turned the corner, and skated into the terminal –   
– and their jaws dropped.  
Every surface, every wall, every bus, every car, was covered in neon   
pink graffiti. It looked like the town had been invaded by Barbie.   
"How come we didn't notice this last night?" Gum croaked, staring at   
the heart-and-arrow pictures around them.  
Beat shrugged. "Too dark?"  
He knew he should feel furious, but at the moment he just felt horrified.   
This was a clear message from those bitches. Die, GGs.  
"Hey!" Gum pointed up to a billboard. "I haven't seen that tag   
before…"  
Her voice trailed off as she realised what it was.   
Beat looked at it, and realised that now he was angry.  
It was a caricature of Cube, lying on the ground in a pool of blood, and   
underneath someone had written: Are All The GGs This Tough?  
"Right! When I find those – those – bimbos – " Gum's chest rose and   
fell as she shouted. Beat tried not to get distracted by it. "Then we'll see   
who's tough. And for starters…"  
She dashed off, leapt up onto the roof of a lorry, and from there to the   
platform in front of the billboard, and began to cover up the picture.  
Beat took out his own can and began to paint over the Love Shocker   
tags himself, but for once he couldn't enjoy it. The GGs had just been insulted.   
Majorly. And he felt powerless to do anything about it.   
It took them two hours to redo the bus station, and when they headed   
out to the hill district they found the same thing had happened there. And in   
Park Street. And in the half pipe.  
Gum threw her spray paint onto the ground and jumped up and down   
on it. Beat wanted to do the same, but someone had to be rational. He wished   
it didn't have to be him.  
Mingled with the Love Shocker tags were more caricatures, with   
different slogans. Whoever had done them was good at people, Beat   
grudgingly admitted. Cube and Slate stared at him everywhere he looked.   
"How could they have managed it?" he said to Gum, who was now   
pounding her fist into her other hand. "How long would it take?"  
"They took advantage of us being out for the last few days. If they   
worked non-stop they could do it. God, I'm gonna kill them when I get my   
hands on them!"  
"But why didn't Onishima do anything?"  
Gum shrugged. "Who cares? They probably bribed him or   
something."  
"Let's get back," Beat said. "We need to make a plan."  
  
Cube looked at Beat, dread slithering down her spine. "You mean they've   
tagged all of Shibuya?"  
"Every last brick." Beat threw his own spray paint can down. "And of   
course, the public are gonna freak when they see it because it looks like a paint   
explosion, and guess who's gonna get a lot more support for his smush-the-  
rudies campaign?"  
"I don't understand why you're not mad about being plastered all over   
Shibuya-cho yourself," Piranha said to Cube. "That really is a scummy thing   
to do."  
Cube knew she should be mad. But she just felt scared. She wanted to   
hide in her room with the blankets over her head, like when she'd been little.   
Which was truly feeble.   
"Does Slate know?" she said.   
"No, he's out in Kogane with Garam and Yo-Yo."  
"Lucky him." Cube had been trying not to look at the plaster casts on   
her legs. She felt like she had a ball and chain on each foot.   
"I know we're supposed to be believing graffiti is an art form," Gum   
said, walking back into the room with a large bag of crisps, "but that shit out   
there is horrible. Horrible."  
She crunched a handful of crisps viciously. Only Gum could threaten   
people by eating crisps at them.   
"They've insulted us twice now," she said, sitting down on the sofa by   
Cube's feet. "First they tricked you and ganged up on you, and now this.   
We've got to fight back."  
Ganged up on you. 'Let's see you crawl through barbed wire.' Hand on   
her wrist, falling off the walkway, agony searing through her bones…  
"Cube, you're all white. Are you okay?"  
Cube managed to nod. Great. Flashbacks.   
"Well, what can we do?" Piranha said. "Just tagging over all their stuff   
doesn't seem much. They'll just know they got us mad."  
"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Gum licked salt off her fingers.   
"Just leave it up there?"  
"Maybe we should." Piranha leaned back against the sofa. "Think   
about it. The public'll want it scrubbed off. They can get rid of it for us. And   
it'll show the Love Shockers we don't care."  
"But we do care!" Gum said through a mouthful of crisps.  
"Yes, but we don't want them to know that."   
"Okay. So we leave the tags. Any other ideas?" Beat asked.  
"Smash their stupid, punky faces in!" Gum yelled.  
"Oh, great, a battle," said Piranha. "What if we lost it?"  
"We won't."   
"You might. Those girls fight dirty," Cube said. She felt the other three   
studying the scars on her face and arms, take in her broken legs. She met their   
eyes, and they all looked away.  
"Anyway, beating them up will probably just aggravate them," Piranha   
said. "They're pretty tough. At least, Kell is. We need to hit them in their   
weak spot."  
"Not all of them are tough," Cube said. "I mean – not all of them are   
psychos. There was San…and one of them helped me when Slate stepped in.   
It's Kell, really. If you hit her weak spot – I mean, really hit it, she'd collapse,   
and then they'd all lose faith in her, that'd work. That's what happened in jail,   
when I fought her before."  
"Huh?" Gum said.  
"I sort of beat her in a fight, and most of the Love Shockers totally   
abandoned her, came onto my side. If that happened again, they'd probably   
give up trying to get to us."  
"This has one small problem." Beat sighed. "What is Kell's weak   
spot?"  
There was a short silence.  
"Couldn't you just beat her in a fight again?" Gum said at last.  
"I'd rather not."  
"No, but Gum's right," Piranha said. "We need to beat her using   
physical violence –"  
"Yessss!" Gum punched the air.  
"With all the Love Shockers watching."  
"You realise if we don't beat her we'll have to leave town," Beat said.   
"Take up residence in Grind City or something."  
"Which is why we use her weak spot to make sure we win!"  
"I don't understand," said Gum.  
"Don't worry. You will."  
  
It was all very well to say they were going to win, but as time went by Cube   
found it harder and harder to believe it.  
Because of her legs she obviously couldn't skate, so she was stuck in the   
garage all day. The other GGs were worried about her being left alone, so   
someone stayed with her. When this someone was Combo or Slate, that was   
great. When it was Yo-Yo, it was a drag. But she needed to get out. She was   
going stir-crazy.   
The flashbacks were getting worse. Cube didn't talk about them. It   
seemed pathetic. She knew she should be angry, and sometimes she was, but   
mainly she was scared.   
Gum was with her when the letter came. They were watching TV when   
suddenly Gum said, "Hey – what's that under the door?"  
She got to her feet, and Cube saw her pick up a folded piece of paper.   
She handed it to Cube. "It's addressed to you."  
Cube unfolded it, heart pounding. She was fighting down memories of   
the last letter she'd got.   
This one wasn't any better.  
  
Hey, honey, how's your face? And your legs? I guess you think we   
parted pretty rudely last time, but don't worry, I'll be back to finish the job.   
And I'll get your friends too. Wouldn't want them to miss out, huh? Hope   
they liked the décor in Shibuya. I reckon the Love Shockers are kinda   
upstaging you guys. Not that I'm surprised. I saw how weak you were in the   
bus terminal.   
Don't go out on your own, Cube. Wouldn't want you to get hurt.  
Kell.  
  
"Bitch!" Gum had been reading over her shoulder. "This is really low – Cube?   
You okay?"  
Cube pressed her lips together and crumpled the note, then threw it with   
all her might at the wall. Swallowing tears, she said, "I'm fine. Stupid Love   
Shocker."  
"Look – I – I don't know if I ever told you – but –" Gum sounded   
nervous for once. "I'm really sorry I got you kicked out of the GGs, okay?   
Not that I'm saying it was okay to kiss Beat," she added hastily. "But I'm still   
sorry."  
"Oh – thanks." Cube hadn't been expecting apologies from Gum of all   
people. "I don't mind any more, but thanks."  
"Cool." Gum grinned, and for the first time Cube grinned back. It was   
nice to know someone was on her side.  
  
Later that day, Gum headed out to Shibuya-cho. The others had got back so   
Cube had someone to look after her, and the Love Shocker graffiti was making   
Gum sick. Sure, Piranha had said to ignore it, but come on. She was a rudie,   
and she didn't ignore rival tags. Especially not salmon horrors like these.  
It was getting darker as she reached Park Street, and the air had a cool   
bite to it. Gum walked into the playground, and began covering up the tag that   
had been splattered over the by-laws sign.   
(Author's Note – yes, I know Shibuya has perpetual daylight, but I see   
this scene taking place at night, so there is gonna be night. Okay?)  
She had nearly finished when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She   
turned to see five Love Shockers behind her.  
"Quit tagging," the tallest Love Shocker said. "Now."  
"Yeah, right. Who do you think I am?"  
"I know who you are, GG. And I think you ought to know that Shibuya   
belongs to the Love Shockers now."  
"Like hell it does."  
Each Love Shocker held up a can of spray paint. Then, as though on a   
given signal, they began to shake them, slowly at first, then faster and faster.   
The clicking drummed into Gum's ears, echoing her heartbeat. She debated   
running, but she wasn't going to act scared of a bunch of brain-dead psychos.   
Even if most sensible people would.  
"Frightened yet?" the tall Love Shocker said.  
"In your dreams." Gum turned back to her tag.   
She felt the paint hit her back, cold on her spine, and spun round. The   
leader's face wore a sharp, satisfied grin, but her eyes were like lead marbles.   
"Run." The Love Shocker's voice was harsh.  
"No way."  
"You know what happens if you're tagged ten times."   
Gum knew, and for the first time she felt nervous. If you were tagged   
ten times, you were out. Finished. Washed up. It was rudie law, always had   
been. But she'd never been in any danger that way. She was the tagger, not   
the taggee.   
"Even your little friends won't support you if you're tagged ten times."  
Gum didn't answer this time. She was looking for an escape route. But   
the Love Shockers had her surrounded.   
"Go on." They moved back, leaving a gap. "Go on. Run. Run."  
They chanted it now. Gum's fingers tensed on her paint can. She had   
no option. Her heart crashing in her ears, she dashed forward. She felt more   
paint slice down her back, staining the already damp fabric of her dress. Eight   
tags left.  
She leapt up onto the fence, ground along it, felt it judder as the girls   
leapt on behind her. Along the fence, and up onto the handrail of the bridge.   
She felt them get closer. Two more tags, the paint hissing in her ears like an   
artificial snake.   
Then down into the half pipe, wheels echoing on the concrete. She   
pushed herself to her fastest speed, hearing her pursuers' skates growling   
behind her. It was night now. The pipe was full of shadows.   
She remembered Cube, lying there, broken and bleeding…saw her   
sitting pale, scarred, legs in plaster…  
For the first time Gum was scared of the Love Shockers.  
She made to take the left fork, but they moved to cut her off, and she   
had to take the right one. She felt another tag brush her shoulder blades. Paint   
fumes made her cough.   
And then she saw the bars.  
She'd somehow skated towards the dead end.   
She reached it, stomach lurching, fear singing in her ears. It was no   
good. Rusty bars cut off her route. They were corroded and old, but she   
couldn't break them, and she wasn't skinny enough to crawl through.   
Desperately trying to spot an escape route, she too late remembered what they   
were gonna do to her.   
Five more tags hit her like bullets.  
Gum froze. It couldn't be. Slowly, she turned round. The Love   
Shockers had big grins on their faces. Gum itched to punch them off.  
The leader held up ten fingers. "You're out," she said. "We know   
you're out. We'll make sure everyone else knows it. And if anyone catches   
you skating, we'll know you're not only a wimp, you're a cheat."  
Gum couldn't talk. It felt like her mind had been scooped out of her   
head, leaving behind nothingness, except one thought – I'm not a rudie.   
"See ya." The leader blew her a kiss, and said, "Let's roll."  
Gum watched them skate away. When they'd finally moved out of   
sight, she sank down onto the step in front of the bars, shivering as the cold   
concrete hit her skin. She held out her hands in front of her, and they were   
trembling.   
I'm not a GG. I'm not a rudie. I'm not anything…  
All her life, she'd either been a rudie or practising to be one. Even when   
she'd been little, she'd been doing flips and jumps in the street to improve her   
skating skills. She'd covered her room with spray paint. She'd taken all the   
jobs she could find to pay for her skates and paint, she'd listened to Jet Set   
Radio since she could talk, she'd never been friends with anyone who wasn't a   
rudie…  
What the hell was she meant to do now?   
  
Beat switched on the radio and tried to forget his stress. All of the GGs were   
worried. Yo-Yo was telling pathetic jokes and then laughing uproariously at   
them, Mew was talking very fast to anyone who'd listen, Combo was playing   
rap music at ear-splitting volume, Garam was trying to flick bits of paper into   
Potts's kennel and doing his victory dance whenever he succeeded, Piranha   
was pacing the floor like a caged lion, Slate was playing pinball and doing his   
victory dance whenever he won, Tab was chewing the edge of his bobble hat,   
and Cube was looking spaced out, basically. She sat on the sofa, staring into   
space, fingers occasionally fiddling with a loose thread from one of the   
cushions.  
And Gum wasn't there.   
"Didn't anyone see her?" he yelled over 'Let Mom Sleep.'   
"No. She said she was going to Shibuya to try and tag over the Love   
Shocker tags. She could still be out there."  
"I guess." Beat tried to concentrate on the music, but he felt too nervous   
still. There were a lot of nasty things out on the streets tonight, and he didn't   
want Gum to get mixed up with them.  
The music faded out, and Professor K's voice blasted from the speakers.   
"Martians come all the way to Earth just to listen to us! We're your…"  
"He's already said that," Yo-Yo said.   
"Give him a break, how many catchphrases can he think up?" Mew said.   
"How about this one. What do you call a fly with no wings? A walk!"   
Yo-Yo threw back his head and burst into raucous laughter.   
"Shut up." Beat threw a can at him. "I want to see if there's any news."  
"And the GGs are one member down! Gum got tagged ten times by the   
Love Shockers – bet she's spitting nails! She's down and out in Park Street,   
and the Shockers are playing for keeps this time! Could Shibuya-cho be   
having a change of management? Tune in for the latest news on the street, on   
your one-and-only –"  
Beat turned off the radio, and the garage went very quiet.  
"She can't be," Piranha said. "K must've got it wrong."  
"He never gets things wrong." Beat was surprised how normal his voice   
sounded. His brain wanted to pick the radio up and throw it out the window,   
preferably in a Love Shocker's direction.  
"Well, where is she?"  
"Maybe she thinks we won't let her in now she's not a rudie," said   
Cube.   
"That's crazy. I'm going to find her." Beat grabbed a can of paint.   
"And if I see any of those bitches, I'm gonna break their skulls. This is the last   
straw."  
He slammed the garage door and skated out.  
It was night in Shibuya-cho now. This happened very rarely, and it   
made Beat uneasy. He reached Park Street. The elephant slide was twisted   
against the moonlight. The playground was empty.   
Under the rage he shivered. He'd never been scared of the Love   
Shockers before. The GGs – everyone – had laughed at them, called them   
stupid and ugly. Even when Combo and Cube had quit – well, all right, been   
kicked out – Beat hadn't been scared of the Love Shockers. Not really.   
They'd suddenly got a lot nastier. The GGs had still despised them.   
Remembering this now, Beat wondered if it was too late to take all that back.  
And where was Gum?  
He skated slowly along and stared down into the darkness of the half   
pipe. He sincerely hoped there wasn't anyone lurking down there.  
Then he jumped into it.  
His skates screeched along the concrete. Ahead of him the bars loomed   
out of the blackness. There was someone leaning against them.  
"Gum? Is that you?" I really, really hope the answer's yes…  
"Yeah."  
Squinting in the darkness, Beat saw her stand up and come towards him.  
"You been here all evening?" he said. He wanted to go and comfort her,   
go kiss her, but he didn't know whether that was the right thing to do. Being   
demoted from rudiedom was the ultimate humiliation.  
"Yeah," she answered, arms crossed, glancing down at her feet. "Didn't   
think I could come back to the garage."  
"Come on, you don't think I was gonna kick you out, do you?"  
She shrugged. "You might do."  
"Gum! You're still a GG –"  
"No, I'm not! You know the rules. I shouldn't be wearing these skates,   
and I can't tag, and basically I've got nothing." He could almost taste the   
bitterness in her voice. "So don't tell me I'm still a GG. If I am I'm useless."  
Beat put his hand in hers. "You're not," he said. "I'm not letting you   
give up. Now come back, it's freezing out here."  
He looked into her eyes, and gave her his best, most engaging grin.  
Gum threw her arms around his neck, and he nearly rolled over   
backwards. "Hey, come on!"  
She was crying. He hugged her.   
"I thought – I thought I'd never see you again…" Gum rubbed her eyes.   
"You sure you aren't gonna kick me out?"  
"Don't be stupid." He kissed her. "Now let's go home."  
  
When they arrived back in the garage, they saw the other GGs listening to   
Piranha, who was reading out another note.   
"What's that?" Beat said.  
"A little letter from the Love Shockers." Piranha spat out the words.   
"Beat, that Kell really hates us. Read this."   
Beat took the note. Gum glanced over his shoulder.  
  
Well, GGs, that's one down. You see, I'm gonna hurt all of you. I   
know you guys. I've watched you laugh at me for years. So I have a pretty   
good idea of your weak points. And how to hit them. Oh, by the way, Cube –   
  
Beat glanced at the Gothic GG, who was as usual lying on the sofa. She was   
pale, and he could see her hands shaking. He turned back to the note.  
  
By the way, Cube – you think you've got it over with? Hah, no way sweetie.   
What happened before was just a preliminary, a warming-up, if you like.   
When I get hold of you later on, you'll really wish you could go back to the bus   
shelter.   
I'm sick of all your laughter, and now it's payback time. Boy, I haven't   
stopped laughing for weeks. Who'd've thought the GGs were such headless   
chickens when the going got tough?  
Catch ya later, Kell.  
  
Beat crumpled the note, feeling rage building. He hated this girl, hated her   
sneers, hated the fact that she was destroying everything he'd gained. He felt   
Gum's fingers grip his shoulder, and realised she was furious too.  
"We've got to get her," she said.   
"How's she delivering these?" Beat asked.  
"I guess she gets a Love Shocker to push them under the door," said   
Piranha. "But often we don't notice them for some time. I guess we could   
catch whoever delivers them – if we kept a watch…"  
"Do that," Beat said. "And everyone else be careful. That's two rudies   
she's put out of action."  
"Oh, yeah, Gum, how are you?" Piranha looked concerned.   
Gum shrugged and gave a little twirl to show the rest of the GGs the   
pink tags on her back. Piranha gasped. Yo-Yo whistled.   
"You're gonna stay, right?" Cube said.   
"Course I am. I'm not letting them kick me out of here. Whatever they   
do to us."   
"We don't have to – we could leave," Tab said slowly.   
"What? Are you crazy?" Gum whirled towards him, fists clenched.   
"Over my dead body!"  
"Um, that may actually happen."  
"No, they've fixed me. Now it'll be somebody else's turn." Gum   
grinned evilly at him. "Maybe they'll pull off your hat."  
"We can't leave," Beat said. "We have to kill or be killed. Beat or be   
beaten. Smush or be smushed…"  
"Thanks, we get the idea," Cube said. "I just hope we do kill, beat or   
smush, then."  
"Well, I'm not letting them stop me," said Mew, jumping down from the   
speakers. "I'm supposed to be tagging tonight."  
"Take someone with you," said Cube.  
"No. Look, I'll be fine, okay?"  
"Your lookout," Gum said. "But I don't think Kell's gonna make an   
exception for you."  
Mew rolled her eyes and sauntered over to the door. "Quit worrying,   
guys. I'm not that weak."  
"Nor am I, and look what happened!" Gum yelled.  
"Yeah, but I'll be on my guard. See ya."  
  
Mew dashed through Shibuya towards the hill district, stopped in front of an   
empty shop window, and began to paint. Normally she enjoyed tagging, but   
tonight she was slightly annoyed. Why did they always act like she was a   
wimp?   
Just because Gum ran away from home…Mew sprayed paint viciously   
down the glass. Just because Cube's a goth…Just because Piranha dropped out   
of school…I did stuff like that too. I'm just a good a GG as they are.   
The night air rippled, and she shivered. She had to admit she was a little   
nervous. She'd always despised the Love Shockers, and when Cube had got   
hurt she'd thought it was a lucky break, a fluke…but now Gum had been put   
out of action. Maybe they were tougher than she'd thought…  
Mew finished the tag and skated on. It was very quiet. Far away she   
could hear traffic, someone's TV…sounds that made up the city-growl. But   
the hill district itself was empty of cars and people.  
Mew clicked on Jet Set Radio and tried to relax on the familiar sounds   
of music and chatter. Where was everyone tonight? Even Onishima didn't   
seem to be after her.   
For that matter, why hadn't he stopped the Love Shockers in their   
Shibuya attack? Even the GGs agreed it looked terrible. Onishima should've   
been out there with tanks, guns, dogs, paratroopers…Yet they'd heard nothing.   
She stopped to tag a wall, and then she heard it.  
Skaters, coming towards her. Her hand began to shake, and the line she   
was painting wobbled like a heart monitor.   
They were coming up the hill. She could jump onto a fence and grind   
past them. But she felt frozen. If she just stayed here, maybe they'd not notice   
her.   
And then, as the skaters rounded the hill, she saw the pink hair and bare   
legs and her stomach lurched. Three Love Shockers.   
Why are you scared of them? a part of her brain asked reasonably.  
Because they're Love Shockers!  
Yeah. Only Love Shockers. Stupid rejects with an attitude problem.   
Mew swallowed and forced her legs to move. She skated towards the   
fence and began to grind down it. And then she heard one of the girls yell,   
"There she is! Get her!"  
Mew gathered speed, the air stinging her face. Darkened shops, trees,   
lampposts flew past her. If she could just get to the bottom of the hill…  
They'll tag my back if I'm lucky, she thought miserably. And I'll never   
get to spray Hello Kitty on Onishima's trenchcoat again…  
They were below her, waiting at the bottom of the fence. Mew jumped   
off, and quick as snakes they encircled her.  
There were no insults. One of them just yelled, "Grab her!"  
Hands wrenched her arms behind her back. She screamed, and one was   
clapped over her mouth. Struggling, she felt them drag her towards an   
alleyway. Her heart froze for a beat. What were they going to do to her?  
The alley was small. Mew's skates crunched over crisp packets and   
chocolate wrappers. One of the Shockers kicked a Coke can, and it clattered   
down to the wall at the end of the alley.  
Two of them held her arms. The third stood in front of her, and held up   
a knife.   
Please, God, please get me out of this, Mew's thoughts begged.  
"You're that girl who always likes to look nice, aren't you?" said the   
Love Shocker, her voice crooning. "I've seen you, always checking your   
reflection. Showing off your butt to the guys. Well, kitty, you won't have the   
face to do that in future."   
She raised the knife. Mew fought to get free, but the hands held her   
wrists firmly. She closed her eyes as the knife scored down her cheek.  
Blood, warm and sticky, ran down her skin. Absent-mindedly she   
licked some of it away. It tasted bitter. She felt very dizzy. The pavement   
rocked beneath her feet.  
"I wanted to stick this in your friend's eye, but I guess I'll have to do it   
to you."  
Mew looked into the Love Shocker's eyes. The girl's face was alight   
with happiness, like Gum's was when she kissed Beat.   
"Ready?"  
"Please don't…" Mew felt her voice tremble, and hated it. Why   
couldn't she be braver?  
"Steady?"  
Mew gritted her teeth.  
"G – "  
"Leave her alone!"  
"Huh?" The Love Shocker turned. Mew looked towards the alleyway   
entrance.  
A Noise Tank stood there. In his hand was a strange, vaguely gun-like   
object.  
"Let go of her," he said.  
"Or what?"  
"Don't make me use this."   
"Go play in traffic," the Shocker sneered, and turned back to Mew.  
"You asked for it."  
He fired.   
Mew heard a faint ringing, like the sound a TV remote makes. The   
Shocker screamed, and clapped her hands to her ears, dropping to her knees.  
"Let go of her," the Noise Tank said again.   
The two other Love Shockers glanced at each other, then released Mew,   
who dashed away from them.   
"Get them!" snarled the Shocker on the ground.  
They came towards Mew, but the Noise Tank fired again, and they were   
knocked back. Then the Noise Tank took Mew's hand, and they skated away.  
  
(Well, like I said, I didn't plan for this to be so long, but it is. Sorry! Please   
r+r. Oh, by the way, NoiseTank13, this Mew-Noise Tank thing isn't a rip off   
of your story, I had it in mind before I read it, but on the other hand it would be   
cool if it was Beta, huh? What do you think? Hope you're not mad.   
Rocketboy Reilly, I wasn't trying to make Mew a ditz, a wimp, or   
anything else here, it just seemed appropriate for this to happen to her. There's   
nothing wrong with wanting to look good, and Kell grossly exaggerated it   
anyway. Honest!)  
  



	8. Rage And Revelations

Chapter 08 - Rage and Revelations  
  
(Blah, disclaimer, blah. Amazingly enough, I don't own JSR! Wow! (Geez,   
why do we bother?))   
  
The GGs gazed at Mew in shock. She stood there, leaning on the arm of a   
Noise Tank, the right side of her face covered in blood, a cut across her cheek,   
clothes crumpled and eyes red.  
"What happened?" Piranha gasped at last.  
"She got jumped by some Love Shockers," said the Noise Tank. "I noticed the graffiti as I came up here. You got those girls mad."  
"Hey, it's not our fault their leader's a psycho," Gum said as Piranha led   
Mew away to see to her cut.   
"By the way," the Noise Tank said, "I gotta thank you for busting us out   
back last week. You did a great job."  
"Hey, I know you!" Beat said. "You were my cellmate. You built the   
radio!"  
The Noise Tank shrugged. "I was in the neighbourhood. I was making   
a dash from the cops, and I entered Shibuya and suddenly they quit chasing me.   
Then I saw the Love Shocker tags everywhere, and then I heard your friend.   
What's going on?"  
"The Love Shockers hate our guts," Cube said. "Or rather, their leader   
does, and she's trying to hurt us. Painting the town pink was one of the nicer   
things."  
"But why didn't the cops do anything? I mean, Onishima's unbalanced,   
but surely he wouldn't have sat back and let them do it."  
Gum shrugged. "Maybe they bribed him."  
The Noise Tank snorted. "You think he'd take bribes from rudies?   
Especially after we flew the coop. He'll be spitting nails already, he's not   
gonna start selling himself out to us."  
"Then how are they getting away with it?"  
"We've tagged Shibuya before," Beat said. "It's not that difficult."  
"Every brick?" The Noise Tank leaned against the doorway. "Anyway,   
how'd they avoid you when they did this? I seen some GG tags, but the ratio is   
definitely in favour of the Love Shockers."  
"We were busy." Beat indicated Cube. "She'd been beaten up pretty   
bad. We were trying to keep the cops away from her while she was in   
hospital."  
"I'm thinking if you find out why they've managed to avoid Onishima,   
you'll find out how to stop them," the Noise Tank said.  
"How'd you mean?"  
"Well, either they're bribing him. My gang ain't gonna like that. Nor   
are Poison Jam. Maybe some of the Love Shockers'll freak too. Then you'd   
have allies. Or they've got some other relationship with him -"  
"Eeeeuw! You don't mean -" Gum pretended to throw up.  
"Maybe that. Maybe family. Maybe - I don't know. But I can promise   
the Noise Tanks'll support you against them. And maybe Poison Jam too."  
He turned to go. "Anyway, seems like you could be doing some   
detective work. See you around, GGs."  
  
The night wore on, and the GGs dozed. Or rather, most of them did.  
Cube sat up, and accepted that she wasn't going to get to sleep tonight,   
whatever her brain thought. Her plaster was itching, and Yo-Yo was snoring,   
but both those things were, at the moment, normal. It was her thoughts that   
were causing her insomnia.  
Mew and Piranha had gone out to the hospital; Piranha had figured that   
Mew needed stitches. But they all knew that it was lucky that that was all Mew   
needed. The face was actually a pretty vulnerable thing, Cube thought.   
Especially when you had a mad Love Shocker with a knife intent on wrecking   
your looks.   
When was this going to end? Gum had been derudiefied, if that was a   
word. Mew had been scarred. She herself was stuck inside with two broken   
legs. And Kell had threatened everyone...  
Cube pictured more GGs coming back, bleeding, broken - dead. She   
shuddered. Sure, she had her differences with the gang. They all did, at one   
time or another. But that didn't mean she wanted them dead...  
Kell's voice echoed in her head. 'Think of the trouble you could've   
saved yourself if you'd just been a good girl earlier.' Not just herself,   
everyone. She told herself that was a stupid thing to think, but deep down in   
her brain, like a stone in your shoe, was the thought: I could've stopped all this.  
She heard footsteps, and looked round to see Slate coming towards her. He sat down next to her, and whispered, "What's wrong?"  
"Nothing."   
"Then why're you awake at this time?"  
"All right, maybe I'm a little worried, but why shouldn't I be? Things   
aren't exactly great." She rested against his shoulder.  
"You wanna tell me?"  
"Now why should I want to do that?" She tried to grin.  
"Cos I know you, Cube. You're scared, and whenever you're scared   
you don't talk about it, and then you get tense, and the next thing we know you   
smash Combo's ghetto blaster because he's playing a song you hate."  
She glowered. "You know me too well."  
"It's part of my charm." He gently touched the end of her hair, and she   
felt warm inside. "So, what is it?"  
"Just the Love Shockers, I guess. I'm scared for me, and you, and   
Combo, and everyone, and I just think - if I'd just let her kiss me, back in jail it - it mightn't have happened..."  
It was embarrassing to confess it, but doing so had made her feel lighter.   
Slate shook his head. "She obviously hates our guts, and she seems   
to've been doing it for some time. If you hadn't made her mad someone else   
would've. I'm just sorry that..." He touched the scar under her eye. "I'm just   
sorry that it had to be you."  
She shrugged. "I can cope."   
"Hey, is this a private party, or can anyone join in?"  
They looked round. Combo, blinking, was standing there.  
"I can't sleep with all this whispering."  
"Sorry." Cube shifted up to make room for him on the sofa.  
"So, what's the word?" Combo said.  
"Not much. I was just freaking out a little."  
"Hey, I think we're all worried 'bout this. That stuff on how she was   
gonna hurt us all...and then Mew..." Combo shuddered. "She ain't a nice   
girl."  
"I can't figure out how she can know what'd hurt us all most. I mean,   
sure it's obvious Mew likes to be pretty, but Gum being a rudie...that's a bit of   
a stab in the dark." Cube winced at the phrase, and tried not to think of   
knifeblades. "She could do that to any of us."  
"But Gum - she was there from the beginning, right? And now she's   
going stir-crazy," Combo said.   
Cube nodded. "That's for sure. You know she can now identify any   
washing powder commercial just from the opening line?"  
"Not a good sign," Slate said.  
"So how's she gonna get the rest of us?" Cube tried to speak   
lightheartedly, but the darkness seemed to be crawling up the back of her neck.   
She shivered, and moved closer to Slate.  
Slate shrugged. "Beat - destroy the GGs. Seeing as he's leader...Tab,   
she could probably hit him same as she did Gum, seeing as he's always been a   
rudie as well. Garam...hurt Piranha. Piranha..."  
"Hurt Garam? Seems a little unimaginative, for Kell," Cube said.   
"And as for Yo-Yo - I have no idea. She may just tag the others ten   
times, or scar them..."  
"No. She's got a dramatic touch. Never repeat yourself." Cube sighed.   
They were talking about this so calmly - and yet she knew if it happened, she'd   
be anything but. "What about you two?"  
Both guys shrugged. "What about you?" Slate asked. "She said she'd   
get you properly next time."   
Cube felt her hands tighten, and forced her breathing to remain calm.   
"Well, I'm not scared about that..." Liar, a voice whispered. She tried to   
ignore it. "I'm more worried about what she'll do to you two."  
"Hey, who says she'll get to us? No Love Shocker's gonna put one over   
on me." Slate grinned.  
Cube found herself irritated by his smugness, and snapped out, "Just like   
the Rokkaku Group didn't put one over on you?"  
The dark garage went silent, broken only by the breathing of the other   
GGs.   
"Rokkaku Group?" Combo said. "Cube, what're you talking about?"  
Cube looked over at Slate. "You gonna tell him, or shall I?"  
Slate shrugged. "You better, seeing as you know all about it." He   
sounded angry. Cube decided to have it out with him later, and turned to   
Combo.  
"This is Coin," she said.  
Combo's mouth dropped open as though she'd pulled a string.   
"He's dead," he said at last.  
Cube explained how he'd survived.  
Combo looked from one to the other. "How long have you known?"  
Cube looked down at her lap. "Since the GGs came to find us in Grind   
City."  
"And you never told me? Well, thanks a bunch. Some friends you are!"   
Combo got to his feet.   
"Combo, we didn't do it on purpose -"  
"No, you just did it so I wouldn't butt in while you played tonsil hockey.   
Don't bother, Cube."  
He marched over to the other side of the garage.  
"What's with him?" Cube said.   
"Stress?" Slate wasn't looking at her.  
"Look," she snapped, "Don't you start ignoring me as well, okay?   
We're all tense, and it's a little hard for me when you got away with a few   
scars and I'm a lame duck. Just because I believed that note..."  
"Hey, hey, Cube, I'm sorry." He hugged her. "Let's just all quit taking   
offence, huh?" He glanced over to where Combo's figure could just be made   
out in the darkness. "Things'll look better in the morning."  
"I sure hope so."  
  
The next morning, Beat had a plan.   
"I know how we can test how the Love Shockers are getting away with   
all this."  
"How?" Gum asked.  
"Simple." Beat grinned. There was something a little unconvincing   
about it. "We get them to tag the police station."  
"That's all, is it?" Piranha said. "And how exactly are we meant to do   
that?"  
"That's the part I was hoping you guys could think about."  
"We could do it," Gum said. "If we practised doing Love Shocker   
tags..."  
"That's a bit low, isn't it?" Piranha said.   
"Oh, and like they've been majorly honourable lately."  
"No, I think it has to be them doing it," Beat said.   
"Then we're gonna have to dare them."  
"You sure they haven't tagged it already?" someone said.   
"Nope. Checked, yesterday. And I saw Onishima in his office, so they   
haven't killed him."  
"Well, maybe it's time to reply to their notes, then," Piranha said,   
glancing towards the garage door. Then she froze.  
There was another note under it.  
She sighed. "Oh, well, best get the daily hate mail over with."  
"I thought we were supposed to be watching out for them!" Beat   
snapped.  
"I think this one was delivered during the night," Piranha said, pulling it out from under the door. "And - hey, it's addressed to me!"  
The other GGs watched her warily as she unfolded it. She looked at   
them, and laughed. "Oh, come on. It's not like -"  
She turned to read it, and stopped speaking.   
For a few moments she was silent, and then she turned and ran into the   
next room, slamming the door behind her.  
The GGs looked at each other, stunned. Garam walked over and   
knocked on the door. "Piranha? You okay -"  
"Go away!" Her voice was thick with tears.   
Garam did so, looking worried.   
"Okay," said Beat, glancing nervously at them. "I was talking to our   
Noise Tank friend, and he said he'd spread the word that the Love Shockers   
were cowards because they hadn't tagged it and we have. They might be able   
to get Poison Jam in on it too. So all we have to do is say it ourselves, and   
hopefully they'll take the bait. And someone else can keep a watch, see if they   
can nab any Love Shockers doing the mail."  
"And then we can tag them ten times!" yelled Gum.  
"Not unless it's a fair chase. You can't just hold them still while you tag them."  
Damn!"  
"Okay," Beat called, "Let's get moving!"  
  
Over the next few days, every Love Shocker was greeted with the taunt of,   
"You haven't tagged the police station!" And then, three days after Beat had   
made the plan, Professor K announced, "The Love Shockers have done it,   
folks! The Keisatsu are all broken hearted and the station's turned into a   
Barbie house!"  
"Yesss!" Gum punched the air.   
"So what now?" Garam asked.   
"Well, we look out for any reactions from the Keisatsu," Beat said.   
"And if there aren't any, it's time to move onto the next stage. By the way,   
Garam, how's Piranha?"  
Garam shrugged. "She won't tell me nothing. Got another letter   
yesterday."  
Cube glanced over at Combo. He'd been avoiding her and Slate since   
he'd found out about Coin. They'd both tried to talk to him, but he'd taken to   
skating off on his own and staying out for a very long time. Cube suspected he   
was as freaked out by the whole Slate-Coin thing as she'd once been.  
"One day," Gum said, staring into the glowing TV screen, "One day   
we'll be masters of this district again. And then I will personally hunt down   
those bitches, spray their backs with my best tags, and then pull out their hair. Any objections to this?"  
"Why d'you hate them so much?" Mew asked. She had got a scar, one   
that grinned down the side of her face. It didn't enhance her looks, but most of it was hidden by her hair, and it gave her a vulnerable style that she was using to its full advantage.   
"Duh! Talk about a dumb question!"  
"No, but I mean, you used to hate them even before all this started,"   
Mew said.  
"Yeah, well..." Gum shrugged. "I got my own reasons for that."  
"What?"  
She turned away. "Just something."  
"You may as well tell. It'll come out sooner or later."  
"They killed my sister, okay?" Gum whirled round and stormed over to   
Mew. "They killed her! They were in a car - blind drunk - and she was   
crossing the road - they ran her down - I saw her die - my mom didn't care -"   
She took a deep breath. They saw the tears in her eyes. "That's why I hate   
them and I think I've got a reason to."  
"Gum, why didn't you say?" Beat asked.  
"Why should I? Not like it's important or anything. I'm fine, okay?"  
She turned and walked towards the door, then stopped. "I forgot. Can't   
go out now, thanks to them." Marching back towards the sofa, she sat down   
and flicked channels on the TV.   
They could hear Piranha crying.  
"Hey, Tab," Beat said, "You wanna come out tagging with me?"  
They practically dashed out of the garage.   
The others didn't look too comfortable, but they stayed - until Gum   
snarled, "Look, either act normal or get out, okay? This silence is driving me   
nuts!"  
Cube sighed as the other GGs got up. She was gonna be stuck in here   
again.  
Then Combo said, "Hey, Cube, you coming?"  
"Ha, ha." She scowled at him. Geez, what was his problem?  
"You got a wheelchair. And I'll wait for you."  
"Yeah, me too," Slate said.  
Cube thought. She hated that wheelchair. It made her look like an   
invalid. But - she glanced at Gum's stormy face.  
"Okay."  
She let them help her up, and wheel her out into the sunlight.  
  
Gum watched them go, hurting inside. Sometimes she felt none of them really   
liked her. And she admitted she'd been horrible to them. But she couldn't take   
the gosh-what's-going-on gossipy silence.  
Once they'd gone, she flopped down on the now empty sofa, and   
channel-hopped. Football. Music. News. Soaps. Football. Music. News.   
Soaps. Football...  
I hate the Love Shockers, she thought.  
Piranha was still crying quietly. Gum thought of trying to comfort her,   
but in her present mood she'd probably just end up making things worse.  
There was a rustling from under the door. She looked round, and saw   
another envelope being shoved under it.  
She leapt up, ready to chase after the messenger, then remembered she   
was banned from skating.   
And alone. In the garage. And they knew where it was...  
Gum swallowed. Don't be stupid. They've dealt with you.   
The envelope was for Piranha, she saw. If she just checked in it, she   
could see why the other girl was so upset, and maybe she could help...  
Or maybe she was just nosy.   
What the hell.  
She picked up the envelope.  
Piranha put her head out of the door, then rushed in and yelled, "Give   
me that!"  
"I'm just looking."  
"It's to me. Give it."  
"No!" Gum slit the top of the envelope open.  
Piranha rushed over and slapped her.   
Gum, face stinging, stared at her in amazement. "What's your problem?   
Look, we need to stick together, okay?"  
Piranha was trembling. "Don't look," she sobbed. "Don't, I mean it,   
Gum, you'll regret it, please don't..."  
Gum knew that she shouldn't, she should just hand it back to Piranha   
and say 'I'll be there for you if you want to talk,' or some such crap. But she   
was sick of this mystery. She looked at Piranha, who was standing there, her   
eyes terrified.   
Inside the envelope were two photos. Gum took them out, and studied   
the first one.  
It was of a group of Love Shockers. The sort of stupid picture that every   
group of friends has. Indeed, there were some of the same sort pinned up   
around the garage at the moment - Yo-Yo crossing his eyes. Piranha pouting   
at the camera.   
This had four Love Shockers in it. They were all laughing, and making   
peace signs at the camera. One was sticking her tongue out. Someone had   
circled the head of one of the girls with biro. She looked familiar...she was   
black, and she was blowing a kiss at the camera...  
Written on the back was Piranha and friends.  
Gum looked from the photo to Piranha. She couldn't speak. Numb   
anger, like an ache, was flooding her throat.  
She turned to the next picture, and memory slammed her in the ribs. It   
showed a car. Once it had been black, but now it was covered in Love Shocker   
tags. It was dented.   
The number plate - one which had been burned into Gum's memory for   
ages - was HY12 LUV.  
She remembered. It had been so hot...the ground had soaked up the   
sun...she'd been running to meet Mia, who was coming out of school...Mia   
had always been the good one of the family. No skating and tagging for her.  
When she got to Shibuya High School she wished she hadn't come.   
Kids of all ages, with neat hair and smart clothes, were streaming out of the   
gates, meeting friends and parents, munching sweets, never a care in the world.   
But she'd said she'd meet her sister, and she wasn't going to let her down.  
And there was Mia, walking out of the gates now. Her clothes were   
shabbier than the others' were, but she still looked like one of them. Unlike   
Gum, who knew she looked like a dropout. Which was unsurprising, seeing as   
that was what she was.  
The sisters met up, and Mia grinned. "Thought you weren't coming."  
"I wouldn't desert my big sister, would I? School okay?"  
"Yeah." Mia fiddled, with the strap of her bag, then said, "I wish you   
hadn't dropped out."  
"I couldn't stay, could I? Not after what happened." Gum tried to make   
her voice harsh. She didn't want questions.  
"Fine." Mia stared at the ground.  
"Quit giving me a guilt trip, okay? Race you to the corner!" Gum leapt   
up onto the railings and ground along them, skates striking sparks.   
"Hey, no fair, you're faster than me!" Mia yelled. "Anyway, you're not   
supposed to be skating here."  
"Says who?" Gum called back.  
"Says the law. It's a skate-free zone."  
"Well, get you. You're just scared you'll lose!"  
"Am not!" Mia began to run.  
Gum leapt off the railings, dashed across the zebra crossing and along to   
the corner. She stopped, leaning against the lamppost, and watched as Mia   
dashed across the zebra after her.  
The car came out of nowhere.  
"Mia, watch out," Gum started to yell.   
She'd only got to watch when it struck.   
Gum screamed without knowing it, and began to run.  
The car had been slowed down by the impact, and as she reached the   
crossing she saw a glimpse of pink spiked hair, bruise-coloured lipstick, jagged   
faces...laughter...a beer can skittered along the road at her feet.  
Mia was lying in a crumpled heap on the road. Gum dropped down onto   
the warm tarmac, screamed her name, over and over again, not wanting to   
touch her in case she hurt her more, not knowing what to do, just wishing she   
could rewind a few seconds and change everything back to normal. She didn't   
notice the crowd gathering, cars encircling them both, the wail of sirens. All   
she could think about was Mia, who looked amazingly calm for someone who'd just been knocked down.  
She looked after the car as it drove away, spraying choking dust into her   
face. Screamed after it, hating the girls who'd driven it with every molecule in her body. One day, she'd have her revenge.  
  
Gum's hand shook as she stared at the photo. She turned it over, and read, the   
sister-smashermobile. Piranha drove it.  
"You didn't," Gum said, looking at the GG. A friend. An ally against   
the world.  
"Gum - I said don't open it -" Piranha's mouth was crumpled, tears   
were wriggling down her warm skin.   
"You were a Love Shocker?"  
Piranha nodded.   
"You said you were a lone skater when you joined us," Gum said, her   
voice wobbling with anger. "You lied -"  
"Can't we just forget it? Kell's been blackmailing me with this, okay?   
Just -"  
"Did you drive the car?"  
"I -"  
"Did you?" Gum felt the fury try and rip its way out of her throat. "Tell me!"  
Piranha's shoulders sank. She whispered, not looking at Gum, "Yes.   
Yes, I did."  
Gum opened her fingers and let the photo fall to the floor.   
"I'm sorry," Piranha gasped. "I am so sorry..."  
Gum felt the tears come, bitter tears of rage, and the pain that had lain   
dormant burst open again, and she rushed forward and punched Piranha in the   
face.   
  
The GGs raced down the road, Combo wheeling Cube, cutting a path through   
unwary pedestrians.   
"What'll we do if the cops come?" yelled Cube as the wind whipped   
through her hair.  
"See if this thing can go up stairs!" Combo replied, as the wheelchair   
took the next corner on one wheel. "You okay, anyway?"  
"I'm great! This has been such a cool run!"  
They screeched to a halt in front of the garage. Beat flung open the door   
-   
Gum was shaking Piranha, whose head was rocking violently on her   
shoulders. Both of them were crying, but Gum's face was bone white and her   
eyes blazing.  
"What the - what's happened?" Beat gasped.  
Combo didn't waste time with words. He simply marched over, pulled   
the two girls apart, and lifted one in each hand.   
Slate wheeled Cube over to the sofa, and helped her out. No one else   
moved. Piranha was still crying, making no effort to stop, and Gum shouted,   
"Let go of me, she killed her, you don't understand -"  
"What are you talking about?"  
"Let go of me," Gum snarled at Combo, who did so. She landed on the   
floor, picked herself up, and marched into the next room, slamming the door.  
Combo put Piranha down.  
"You gonna explain?" Mew asked.  
Piranha didn't answer. She simply picked up two photos and a piece of   
paper from the floor, and handed them to Beat. He studied them quickly, and   
then said, "You were a Love Shocker?"  
She nodded, and stood there waiting for the blow to fall.  
Beat looked at the documents again. "You - you ran Gum's sister   
down?"  
She nodded again.   
"Ah."  
"I wasn't spying for them, honest I wasn't..." Piranha said at last. "I   
quit, ages ago, because I decided I was sick of their man-hating policies...I'd   
heard you guys were smart, and you seemed to be on top of things...I didn't   
know about Gum..."  
"Didn't you recognise her or nothing?"  
"I didn't want to remember it - afterwards - the hit and run -" Piranha   
shuddered. "I blocked most of it out. Gum was there, I think - she saw it   
happen - but I didn't make the connection - with my hair different and all she   
didn't recognise me."   
She looked round, saw that all the GGs were listening.   
"Kell wasn't leader when I was there. She was just a normal gang   
member. Later, after I quit, the Love Shocker leader was killed or arrested or   
something, and Kell inherited the throne, as it were...she talked to the others.   
They knew who I was, but they didn't really care. They thought I was dumb to   
go back to guys, and they said if I ever blabbed any Love Shocker secrets   
they'd tell. But Kell must've decided this was a weak point - she sent me that   
stuff - Gum opened the letter..."  
She turned to face Beat. "I'm sorry. Tell Gum I am. I was off my face   
when I drove, and I know that was stupid..." She began to walk out of the   
garage.  
"Hey, where are you going?" Beat asked.   
"Away. You don't want me here."  
"You're staying. You can't quit now, we need everyone we can," Beat   
said. "Because I've got an idea."  
Piranha turned, a faint grin struggling through the tears. "You're   
serious?"  
"Hey, I get ideas sometimes." He smiled at her. "Come on. I ain't   
kicking out anyone else." He glanced at Cube. "I'm not going through all that   
again."  
Piranha turned back, and rushed into Garam's arms.  
"So what's the plan?" Yo-Yo asked.  
"We've got to..." Beat stopped. "No. I'll wait till Gum's back."  
"You're gonna wait a long time." Piranha said.  
  
Gum sat up. The room was dark, and her head ached from crying. She must   
have fallen asleep.  
She turned, and gasped as she saw Piranha standing over her. "What do   
you want, Love Shocker?"  
"Gum, I think we should talk."  
"I'd rather not talk to you." Gum rolled over again and stared at the   
wall.  
Piranha sighed. "Then listen. I did not kill your sister on purpose."  
Gum winced inwardly at the words, but she kept her back still so   
Piranha couldn't see.  
"Me and the girls...we were celebrating something, can't remember   
what. We'd been drinking, and I think I was a little stoned anyway. And   
someone suggested going for a drive. No one was sober enough to object."  
"What's the point of this?" Gum demanded.  
"I'm just explaining. Anyway, I leapt into the front seat, and shouted,   
'Bags I drive!' That was all. And no one objected to that either, so we set off."  
"Are you expecting me to feel sorry for you?"   
"Just listen. I don't remember much of the actual accident. The next   
thing I knew, I was back in Love Shocker HQ, and they told me I'd run   
someone down. We saw it in the papers the next day." Piranha's voice was   
dead. "I didn't know what to do. I knew what the cops did to rudies. I was too scared to confess. We tried to forget it."  
"That must've been nice for you." Gum's voice quivered.   
"I quit the gang because I didn't agree with their policy - but also things had become difficult there. They were nervous of me, didn't know how to   
handle it. It all got too strained. So I quit. I wanted to start again."  
"Didn't you know me?" Gum focused on a mark on the wall, trying to   
ignore her misery.  
"No. I told you, I blocked it out. I wouldn't have recognised your sister if I'd met her, and I only got a glimpse of you when it happened, I think. I didn't know your surname, so I never made any connection."  
Gum stayed silent.  
"I don't know what else to say," Piranha said. "I guess...sorry."  
"Oh, well that makes it all right, doesn't it?" shouted Gum, sitting up at   
last. "You don't know - you don't know how much it hurt - how scared I was   
- you don't know how guilty I felt - I raced her, got her to run across the road   
- and it was all you - you - drinking with your stupid friends..."  
She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.  
"I'm not kicking you out," she said at last, eyes swimming. "I've learnt   
my lesson with that. But I'm not skating with you any more. I'm not speaking   
to you."  
"I don't blame you." Piranha blinked a few times. "The others are all   
very sorry. Beat's got a plan, but he says he'll wait till you're feeling better."  
Gum shrugged. Her eyes were throbbing. "Tell him to go ahead with it.   
I haven't got much at the moment. I won't be much use."  
"Are you sure?"  
"I said, tell him. Now just leave me alone before I slap you again."  
Piranha crept out of the room. Gum lay down again, wishing she could   
sleep more. In sleep she didn't have to think. Or remember.  
"Mia..." she whispered. "I miss you so much..."  
  
(Well, that's another chapter up. Hope you liked it! All comments appreciated   
except those of the flamish quality, which will be printed out and used as a   
dartboard. OK?)  



	9. Sneaking In

Chapter 09 – Sneaking In  
  
(Here we are, next chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last one!   
This is quite vicious – for me anyway – enjoy! And r+r or meet a painful   
death.)  
  
"This," said Beat, "is the plan."  
The GGs – well, eight of them, Gum still remaining apart from the rest –   
faced him and waited.  
"Okay. We're agreed, we need to find out why Onishima's not been   
doing anything about the Love Shockers, right?"  
They nodded. Beat took a deep breath. It would require all his powers   
of persuasion and public speaking to get them to agree with this.  
"It's the only way to involve a gang fight which'll probably be messy,   
violent and deadly, right?"  
"Right," Tab said. "So what's the plan?"  
Beat grinned. "All we need is for someone to sneak into the police   
station, and someone to sneak into Love Shocker HQ!"  
"WHAT?" everyone yelled.  
"Oh, come on!" Beat said. "Look, it's not that bad. If you get caught in   
one, you'll just get banged up for the rest of your natural life. If you get caught   
in the other, you'll be gutted like a fish…"  
"Well, speaking personally, I'd rather have the gang fight," Piranha said.   
"Beat, that's suicidal!"  
"Not if we plan it right. You're useful 'cos you know your way around   
the Love Shockers' place, right?"  
"Yeah…but what about the police station? No way are we gonna be   
able to get in there."  
"Well, we can do the Love Shockers' HQ. Now, who's gonna   
volunteer? I mean, I'm sure you'll all gonna jump at the chance to – guys?   
Guys?"  
Beat looked round the empty garage.   
  
Eventually he managed to convince them, and then came the choice of who   
was going to do it. Piranha was an obvious choice for the Love Shockers, but   
everyone agreed she shouldn't go alone.   
Cube stood at the back, feeling scared. She was out of plaster now, but   
she hadn't gone out yet. Her legs were too weak to skate, for one thing. But –   
she admitted it to herself – she was too scared to go out.   
And that made her furious.  
"Okay," Beat said. "Anyone want to volunteer, or shall I get some   
straws?"  
"I'll do it."  
Cube wondered if she'd gone crazy. But she didn't feel crazy. Her   
heart was thumping, but everything seemed very clear suddenly.  
"You can't!" Slate said. "You're still laid up –"  
"No, I'm not. I can walk, I just can't skate."  
"Exactly! You'd just slow Piranha down, it'd be dangerous –"  
"It's dangerous already. Look, I've faced Kell once, and I survived,   
didn't I?" Even to her ears it sounded a pretty weak line, but she carried on. "I   
know what she's like more than any of you. Also –"  
"Don't be stupid, Cube," Combo said. "I'll go, okay?"  
"You can't." Cube could feel her hands shaking. She clutched one with   
the other. "You're too noticeable. Me and Piranha are girls at least."  
"Yeah, she's got a point," Piranha said. "No guys can go, 'cos no guys   
are allowed anywhere near the place. We used to take pot shots at any dumb   
enough to come over here. So it's gonna have to be me and another girl."  
"Not Gum," Beat said, and they all agreed with him. Gum had been   
lurking alone all day. Beat and Piranha had been the only ones to speak to her.  
"Well, what about Mew?" Slate said.  
"Look, I want to go. She doesn't – do you?"  
Mew shook her head, and said, "But – Cube – you've been hurt. I'm   
okay with going, really I am –"  
"No."  
"Well…okay, then," Beat said. "But I don't like it."  
Cube didn't either. But if she didn't do this, she'd never get out of the   
garage. She could feel it.  
Face your fear, she told herself.  
"Tonight, then," Beat said. "And remember, you're just eavesdropping,   
okay? Trying to find out how she's getting away with this, and anything else   
useful."  
Yo-Yo started humming the Mission:Impossible theme tune.  
  
Another night in Shibuya-cho. (A/N: And don't start in on me about the   
perpetual daylight thing. Check out Chapter 7 for my explanation.)  
Cube had watched the fading daylight with unease. But now, as she   
stuck the knife into her belt, the adrenaline started to kick in, and she almost   
looked forward to it. She and Piranha each had also a small tape recorder built   
into their watches by the Noise Tank, just in case.  
Piranha was wearing a black copy of her normal clothes, decorated with   
purple stars, and it made everything seem more eerie, as though she and the   
world had been placed in shadow.  
"You ready?" she said to Cube, who nodded.  
"Okay, be careful," Beat said. He'd run his fingers through his hair so   
much it now stood up all over his head and made him look like he'd just been   
struck by lightning. "If things get tough, leg it outta there and don't kill anyone   
unless you have to. Things get difficult then."  
"Hey, I'm not in a bloodthirsty mood," Piranha said. She threw him a   
mock salute, and then the two girls headed towards the door.  
Cube took a deep breath as Piranha opened it, and a slab of moonlight   
was thrown onto the garage floor. She was not scared. She was not. She could   
walk out there like she'd done hundreds of times before.  
Her hands were shaking again. And her stomach was rolling like a ship   
in a storm.  
She breathed in again, and stepped outside, and was angry to realise she   
was trembling. As they began to walk, she focused on the taste of the night air,   
and clenched her fists.  
The streets were quiet again. The inhabitants of Shibuya-cho were all   
inside, watching TV or sleeping, Cube figured. Either that or they'd headed to   
Benten to party. That was like it was every night. But normally Onishima's   
voice would be crackling through the radio, and they'd be hearing choppers   
humming over their heads.   
But tonight, nothing.  
"Piranha," Cube said.  
"Hmm?"  
"If you do need to run – or escape by grinding or something – just do it,   
okay? I'll be able to handle myself, and I don't want you to get caught waiting   
for me."  
"If you say so. But I ain't gonna want to leave you behind, okay? I   
don't know why you wanted to come, but you seemed like it was important to   
you, so I'm cool with it."  
"Okay." Well, at least Piranha wasn't mad with her.  
Love Shocker HQ was a large grey building which looked like it might   
have once been part of a factory. Thin windows ran up its sides, some   
smashed, some tinted pink by long-forgotten tags.   
Piranha had an angry grin on her face. "Good to see the old place   
again," she whispered.  
"How're we gonna get in?"  
"They don't use most of it. Follow me."  
She led the way up an old fire escape which creaked ominously under   
their feet. Cube remembered the pole they'd all hung off after the escape, and   
gulped. When they reached the top, Piranha pushed open the door.  
"They're pretty lax," she whispered. "There's loads of locked doors   
lower down, and who'd challenge them anyway?"  
Inside moonlight glittered on the puddles of rainwater on the floor.   
Cube and Piranha crept past blank glass-fronted office doors. Once or twice   
Cube caught a glimpse of an old desk or chair, often overturned or rotting.   
There was a gloomy feel to the whole place, as though too much of it was   
forgotten. Cube thought of the garage, and was grateful for it.  
She tried to ignore the voice whispering in her ear: What if Kell's   
watching us right now?  
She shivered, and told herself it was because of the icy air rippling   
through the smashed windows.  
There was a door at the end of the corridor. Piranha tried it, but it was   
locked.   
"Right," she murmured, and took out a lockpick.  
"How'd you learn that?" Cube asked.  
"I've been around." Piranha straightened up, and turned the doorhandle.   
The door opened.   
She glanced in, and put a finger to her lips. Cube followed her gaze.  
The door led onto a grey metal balcony, the sort you see in prison   
movies, which encircled a huge room the size of a sports hall. In the dim light   
Cube could see several Love Shockers, far below, practising jumps and moves.   
"What now?" she said. "I can't see if Kell's there…"  
"Well, there's no point staying here," Piranha said. "Let's go. And   
walk quiet."  
They crept out onto the balcony. Cube could hear the girls below   
laughing, shouting, teasing each other. Just like the GGs. And yet, if they saw   
her, they'd kill her.  
"We need to get down to them," Piranha said. "Stairs ahead – and keep   
quiet."  
Cube's footsteps seemed painfully loud on the metal-grille floor. Surely   
someone would look up…  
The balcony was becoming rustier. Copper flecks clung to their feet.   
"This looks kinda dangerous," Piranha said. "Maybe we'd better turn   
back."  
Cube shook her head. She had to keep going now, or she'd run back   
into the corridor, down the fire escape and back to the garage. The night   
seemed brighter outside, spilling in through shattered windows, and the wall   
was damp and had drips running down it like varicose veins.  
They reached the stairs, and scurried down them. Now they could be   
seen from the ground. And Cube could hear what the Love Shockers were   
saying: "Call that a wall ride? More like a wall fall!" "Race you to the door!"   
"Where's Kell, anyway?" "Lurking in her office. She said she had some   
phone calls to make." "I didn't know we had a phone!" "Well, wake up. Only   
Kell's allowed to use it, though."  
"Talk about Little Miss Secretary," Piranha whispered.   
The balcony was rustier now, and wobbled under their feet.   
"Be careful…" Piranha said.  
Cube walked on. If she stayed still for too long she felt an urge just to   
freeze and hope she blended into the wall.  
Then there was a horrible crunch, and she felt herself falling through the   
floor. There was one more balcony below her, and she hit it with a bone-  
shaking crash.  
Why do I seem to spend most of my life falling off things? she asked   
herself.  
"Hey, there's someone up there!" yelled a Love Shocker.  
Cube's pulse rate moved into second gear. She stayed absolutely still.  
"Nah, can't be."  
"I'm telling you, someone fell through the balcony. I'm going up to   
check it out."  
"Could be a serial killer."  
Cube carefully stood up, and wondered if she dare make a break for the   
stairs.   
"Chicken!"  
"All right, all right, I'm coming!"  
Footsteps on the stairs below.   
Cube began to run.  
"Told you! Quick, move it!"  
If she could reach the steps before they got to the top…but her legs were   
beginning to ache, dull tiredness spreading through them, and she cursed   
kneecaps, and plaster casts, and everything.   
And there they were, coming to meet her. A torch burnt her eyes, and a   
girl said, "I don't believe it – it's that GG!"  
"What are you two bitches doing up there?"  
That was Kell's voice. Cube bit down a whimper.  
"There's that GG up here, Kell," called one of the girls. "Cube. You   
know."   
"What the – grab her and bring her down here!"  
Cube felt a hand grip her wrist, and just like she'd done before, she   
turned and punched the girl in the face. Then she ran, the opposite way,   
gritting her teeth against her aching muscles, and trying to reach the stairs,   
which she could just make out in the darkness.   
She was nearly there, when – crash – she collided with a Love Shocker,   
who grabbed the front of her shirt. Cube hit out wildly. Then she felt   
something thin and sharp touch her throat.  
"Don't move," gasped the Love Shocker.  
Cube groped for her knife. Her hand closed on it, and she stabbed out.   
The other girl screamed, "Bitch!" and she felt the knife tear down her cheek.   
The other Love Shocker had got hold of her hand, and was trying to   
break her hold on the knife. Cube gripped it, feeling the handle dig into her   
palm.  
More footsteps. The other Love Shockers were coming up to help.   
Cube scratched, punched, felt her fingers ripped off the knife, which clattered   
to the ground far below. Then an arm was round her neck, and the Love   
Shocker was choking her.   
"Give up," she was saying, "Give up or I'll kill you!"  
No way was Cube going to do that. She kicked back, felt her foot   
scrape down shin, heard the other girl gasp – the view was beginning to wobble   
– lights were flickering in front of her eyes – she needed air –   
More hands grabbed her arms, and someone said, "It's okay, Shar, you   
can let go now."  
The pressure on her throat was released, and she fell forward.   
"Quit struggling," someone said. "Geez, I thought she'd finished you   
off. What are you doing here? Crazy?"  
"None of your business."  
"Well, get you!" sneered the Love Shocker. "Right, let's get moving.   
Mustn't keep Kell waiting."   
They dragged her down the stairs. Cube fought against their grip, but   
they all knew there was no way she could get away. But if she didn't fight,   
she'd sink down and sob, and then her humiliation would be complete.   
They reached the ground, and she was dragged towards a door with light   
glowing behind it. It opened, and Kell strode out. She was holding a torch,   
which glowed feebly in the darkness of the huge hall.  
"Cube? What are you doing here?" She shone the light into Cube's   
face.   
"Felt like coming along to see how the riff-raff live," Cube retorted.  
"You are either very stupid or very mad," Kell said. "Although I guess   
I'm glad. Now you can watch while I destroy your gang."  
She's just trying to scare you, Cube told herself. She hasn't done   
anything. She hasn't. Has she?   
"Hold her out here a minute," Kell said, walking back into the office.  
"What are you doing here, anyway?" asked a Love Shocker. "I   
wouldn't go near her if I were you."  
Cube shrugged. "Told you. I had some business here."  
"You weren't gonna try and kill her, were you?" another girl said.   
"Why should I tell you anything?"  
The door opened again, and Kell called, "Bring her in."  
The small room seemed even more claustrophobic after the echoing   
emptiness of the hall. There was a desk in the centre, which Kell was perched   
on at the moment, and stuck into it was a knife.  
Cube felt her breathing quicken, and her palms were damp. Fighting   
down the panic attack, she struggled as she was dragged over to the heating   
pipe running vertically down the far wall. That is, she figured it was a heating   
pipe – as they bound her wrists to it she felt nothing but cold rust.  
"Scat," Kell said to the other Love Shockers. "I'm gonna make a call to   
the GGs."  
"I didn't know we had a phone," Cube said.  
"Well, live and learn, don't you? Actually, I borrowed an old directory,   
and found your place when it was still the Hung Foo Shin Garage." Her pink-  
nailed fingers stabbed the numbers, and then she leaned back, a smug smile on   
her face.  
Cube heard, dimly, Beat's voice. "Hello?"  
"That's Beat, leader of the GGs, right?" Kell twisted the phone cord   
round a finger. "It is? Great. You see – no, of course I'm not moving onto   
anonymous phone calls. You'd always know it's me. Anyway, I've got one of   
your little pals here. Caught her snooping round our place. Not exactly a   
polite thing to do."  
She listened. Cube could hear Beat speaking, but couldn't make out the   
words. Then Kell said, "Fine. You don't believe me – say hi to her yourself."  
She held the reciever to Cube's face, and Cube heard Beat saying, "I'm   
not gonna believe you until –"  
"Beat," she said, "it's me."  
"Cube?"  
"Yep." She sighed. "I guess you were right after all. I shouldn't have   
gone."  
Kell, lighting a cigarette with her free hand, snorted.   
"Are you okay?" he said.   
"I'm fine. Look, don't worry about me, okay? I was stupid to come   
here alone, and now I'm paying for it."  
"Alone – oh. Right."  
Kell lifted the cigarette and inhaled. Cube smelt the smoke curling   
round her.  
"Don't worry, Cube, we're gonna get you out of there, okay?"  
"I knew you –" Kell brought the end of the cigarette down on the side   
of her neck, and she screamed.  
"Cube? Cube? What's –"  
Kell laughed, and said into the reciever, "Don't worry, GG. Just a little   
preliminary run."  
Beat shouted something, and she said, "Geez, what an unoriginal insult.   
Anyway, gotta go."  
And put down the phone.  
  
Beat stood there, holding a cracked and dusty reciever, and kicked the wall.  
"What's going on?" Mew said. "What's happened to Cube?"  
"They've got her," Beat said.   
Slate's knees gave way and he dropped onto the sofa; Combo went pale.   
"What about Piranha?" asked Garam.  
"I think she's okay. Cube said something about how dumb she was to   
come alone, I think she was trying to say they don't know Piranha's there."  
"We got to get her out of there," Combo said. "You know what Kell'll   
do to her if we don't –"  
"Hey, I never said we couldn't. But we gotta make a plan. And it's   
gotta be fool-proof."  
  
Kell inhaled on the cigarette, and blew out a cloud of smoke. Cube got the   
feeling she was doing it to show off.  
"That'll kill your lungs," she said, trying to ignore the stinging from the   
burn on her skin. She didn't normally care whether people smoked, but if she   
was trapped here, she may as well get Kell annoyed.  
"Geez, you're prissy, aren't you?" Kell smirked.   
"Hey, you'll be the one collapsing when you try and skate up the hill."  
Kell was about to answer when the phone rang. Rolling her eyes, she   
reached over and picked it up. "Hello?"  
Then she hissed, "Look, I told you never to call me here! Do you have   
any idea what the others would do if they found out how we've got away with   
the tagging?"  
Cube's ears pricked up, and carefully she pressed the Activate button on   
her watch-tape recorder.   
The person on the other end of the line was shouting. It was a scratchy,   
furious voice.  
"Geez, do you know how many people have called me a dirty rudie? If   
you thought that, why'd you let me –"  
The voice cut her off.  
She laughed. "You know you liked it. Why not admit it, rudies aren't   
as bad as they seem?"  
Cube watched her. She was smirking, the torchlight chasing the   
shadows to the back of her face.  
"I can handle the GGs," she said at last.  
The voice didn't seem to think so.  
"Look, I've got one of them in here right now!"  
The voice didn't yell so much. The tone was an ordering one, though.  
"I don't see why we need to speed up the plan," Kell snapped. "I've got   
them scared –"  
"Like hell you have!" Cube yelled.  
Still holding the phone, Kell picked up the knife and slashed down the   
side of Cube's jaw, then said, "Scare each one, then I'll let you go in. You   
know whenever you try and catch them you fail…"  
Cube gasped. Surely it couldn't be…  
"Why? What's the hurry?" Kell wasn't looking so happy now.  
"Oh, I see. Your reputation." She kicked at the desk. "Well, that's   
understandable. Having the entire population of the Juvie Skaters Correction   
Place escape from under your very nose – are they thinking of downgrading   
you? I guess your badge is important to you after all. Not that it shows…"  
She laughed as the voice shouted again.  
"All right, all right. I'll move against them tonight. I got someone who   
can help me with that…" She grinned at Cube. The voice spoke some more,   
and she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know the bargain! You don't try and   
arrest us, and we don't do any more tagging."   
She rested her crossed fingers on her lap.  
"Look, the police station was a hitch, all right? A casualty of war.   
Now, we know the rules, right? I get to play with the GGs myself, and then   
you get to pop round and collect what's left. And we're both happy. Now   
don't call here again."  
She slammed down the phone, and said to it, "You dumb idiot. Think   
I'm gonna keep my promises to you?"  
"You making bargains with cops?" Cube asked. She tried to fight down   
the rage in her voice.  
"What's it to you? As a matter of fact, yes I am."  
"What's the bargain?"  
Kell shrugged. "I said on the phone. I use my gang to smush you GGs,   
get to hurt you a bit, then he can move in and take you off to Sing Sing. Suits   
me. Not, of course, that I'm gonna keep my side of the deal. No tagging –   
god, who does he think he's dealing with?"  
"Who is he?" Cube felt the tape recorder purring under her fingers, and   
hoped the others were picking this up. The Noise Tank had made it so that   
whatever the recorder picked up was played out of a speaker back at the   
garage.  
"Who is he? Well, I thought you could guess. Who hates your guts?   
Who caught you all, then lost you again? Who has a rudie-hating reputation to   
keep up?"  
"Is it –" Cube hesitated. "Is it Onishima?"  
"And Cube scoops the…"  
  
"…Jackpot on tonight's show." Kell's voice blared from the speakers. "Of   
course it is. Only he'd be so stupid as to let me get the hold I've got over him."  
"What d'you mean?" Cube sounded remarkably calm, Beat thought.   
"Well, can you imagine the scandal if it got out that the Chief Of Police   
was screwing the rudies he'd caught?"  
There was a very long silence, before Cube said, "You didn't –"  
"Of course I did. Don't look so surprised, honey, under that trenchcoat   
he's the same as any other man."  
"I think I'm gonna puke…" Mew said.  
"Ssh!" Beat listened intently.   
"And you see, now if that gets out he'll be ruined. I figured that, so   
when he caught me I – hopped on the good foot and did the bad thing – and   
forced him to work with me. Let myself get sent to jail, and I spied for him."  
"Huh?"  
"Oh, god, Cube, stop being so dim. I'd keep my ears open – hear where   
people's hideouts were – tell him – he'd go in and nab'em. In return he left the   
Love Shockers alone."  
"Did you get us caught?"   
"No, that was him. I thought – we both thought – we wouldn't have to   
worry about you again after that."  
"When you came onto me, was that part of a plan?" Cube was speaking,   
rather than shouting, but anger cooled under her voice.   
"No. That was just me. When you escaped…well, course I went too.   
Onishima was furious. After he tried to grab you on the roof, he met up with   
me, and said if I didn't help him he'd get me. I wasn't scared, but I wasn't too   
pleased with you, Cube."  
Beat shivered. There was low, angry menace under her voice.   
"So I thought, well, I could use that. Hurt you and demoralize the rest   
of your friends. I was going to tell him where the garage is, and he'd go in   
with guns blazing. But now you're here, I've got a better idea."  
"What?"  
"You think I'm gonna tell you? The sickening thing about you guys is   
you always win. I'm not giving you any more info than I want to."  
"But why'd you go with Onishima and try and come onto me? Are you   
–"  
"I thought I'd have a bit of fun with you. Onishima was power. Sleep   
with someone and one of you'll get power, and I got it off him. Now, enough   
talking." They heard footsteps, and a quick scrape.   
And then Cube screamed.   
There was a click, and the speaker went silent.  
"What's happened to it?" yelled Yo-Yo.  
The Noise Tank, who was listening as well, shrugged. "Nothing to do   
with the speaker. Someone turned her recorder off."  
"We've got to get there," Combo said. "Now."  
"Yeah." Gum had crept out to join the others, and was now looking   
almost like her old self.  
"Right," Beat said. "Hang on – someone'd better stay listening here, to   
see if we get any news."  
"I'll stay, if you want," said the Noise Tank. "This is a GG thing –   
though I gotta say, I'd like to get that girl myself." His face was hidden, but   
there was dark rage in his voice.  
"Sorry, but I'm not leaving a rival gang member in our headquarters on   
his own," Beat said. "No way."  
The Noise Tank shrugged. "Sure."  
"No, wait," Mew said. "I – I can stay here. I mean, I'm not a very good   
fighter, and I don't mind…"  
"There's no point. If I was gonna double-cross you – which I'm not – I   
could overpower you easy."  
"I don't care," Mew said, then blushed. "I mean…"  
"Oh, look, just say yes!" Slate yelled. "We don't know what's   
happening there –" He swallowed. "We need to move!"  
"Okay," Beat said. "You two stay behind. We'll be back soon – I guess   
– keep an ear out for Piranha, okay?"  
And they dashed out of the garage.  
  
Piranha crouched in the darkness, watching the Love Shockers skating. She'd   
heard a phone ringing in Kell's office – and before that – or was it? – Cube had   
screamed. What was going on?   
Don't be stupid, she told herself. You know what's going on, hon. Kell   
is making Cube suffer in that office, and you're hiding up here.   
But what else could she do? If she went anywhere near the ground   
floor, she'd be caught and then she'd be in the same position as Cube. Unless   
the Love Shockers left the building, there was no way she could do anything.  
She looked down at the skaters. In the dim light she couldn't pick out   
faces, but she recognised the moves. Shar's wall ride. Kris's back flips.   
Dash's jumps. She'd known these girls. They'd been her friends. Just like the   
GGs. And yet they'd let her be killed if she was caught here now.   
Piranha sighed. Well, just standing here wasn't gonna get anything   
done. Pushing herself off the wall, she crept along the balcony. She was on   
the middle one. A few metres along was the hole Cube had fallen through. As   
she walked, she thought.  
Kell had killed San. Piranha only dimly remembered San – she'd joined   
just before Piranha left. But she'd seemed a perfectly okay rudie. No need to   
do that to her.  
Piranha shivered, and touched her own throat. Suddenly it felt very   
vulnerable.  
But Kell hadn't always been this crazy. Had she?  
She'd come from Kogane-cho, and everyone knew what it was like   
there. But so what if she came from there? Lots of rudies did. It was leading   
in the running-away-from-home stakes.   
(A/N – Bisho-jo, I know I'm sort of nicking your idea about Kogane   
being the really horrible district to live in, but I think you're right. Hope you   
don't mind!)   
Piranha had never lived in it, and she'd been glad she didn't.   
No, she thought, I wasn't an abused child. Just a complete bonehead   
who quit school.   
Notes. People passing notes round class, sticking them on her back.   
Opening her locker to find insults scrawled all over her books…  
Piranha bit her lip to drag herself back to the present. She glanced   
round the hall. The Love Shockers were still skating. Did the GGs know what   
was going on?  
Anyway, Kell was from Kogane. She'd never talked much about her   
life there. As a Love Shocker she'd been a good gang member. She's smart,   
Piranha reflected. That time we were all cornered…she saved our butts. And   
you gotta admit, even what she's doing now has style. Sick, horrible style, but   
style nevertheless.  
And she was okay to me.  
As part of her brain tried to think of a plan, the rest fell back into   
memory.  
After a horrible trick played on her involving a boy she had a crush on, a   
prom invitation, and a lot of pain, she'd decided she'd had enough, and she'd   
announced that she was quitting school. This had prompted a furious row with   
her parents, and that had prompted her to leave home.  
So now she stood under a bus shelter, rain dribbling off the edge of the   
roof and down her nose, wondering what to do. She wore her skates, and jeans   
and a top. She was a pretty good skater, and she was wondering if she dared   
join a gang of them. They might accept her. Be her friends.  
Or they might bitch about her and set her up for a fall.  
Piranha closed her eyes to stop the tears beginning to flow again. Her   
eyes were tender and sore from all the crying she'd done the past day, and she   
wasn't going to start again. When she opened them, she saw someone skating   
towards her.  
"What are you doing here, rudie, you're on our turf," the girl demanded.   
She wore shorts with a pink stripe down the side, a black crop top with a   
broken heart design, and an eyepatch. And white and pink skates. Her hair   
was thick and dark, and came to her chin.  
"None of your business," Piranha snapped. "And I'm not a rudie,   
anyway."  
"Then why the skates?" the other girl said.  
"Well…" She may as well do it. "I was actually wanting to join up   
with a gang. You know of any?"  
"Do I know of any? I'm in the Love Shockers, of course I know of any.   
You look pretty broken-hearted, I must say."  
"I guess I am." At the thought of the whole horrible scene twenty-four   
hours ago, Piranha felt her mouth crumple.  
"Oh, geez, not tears. I can't handle'em. Well, I'll tell you what. If you   
can keep up with me, then I'll put your name up for membership. Okay?"  
"Sure. Thanks!"  
"I'm only an associate at the moment – haven't got the hair…" She   
touched a black rat tail of it as she spoke. "But I can nominate you. If you're   
any good."  
She leapt onto the railings, and ground along them. Piranha followed   
her, heart pounding. If she flunked this…  
The rail was slippery, but she kept her balance. She charged after the   
girl, who was heading up to the hill district. The muscles in her legs began to   
complain. She ignored them. She had to keep that pink figure in her sights.  
The girl dashed off down a side street. Piranha followed, and they   
skated down, down into the half pipe, which had a stream of water running   
through it. As she skated, the rain flew up and bit into her clothes, sending icy   
shivers through her skin.   
The girl did a flip, and Piranha copied her, grateful now for all the time   
she'd spent practising. And another flip. A leap. Out of the pipe, back at the   
bus terminal. Grind. Up the banisters. Faster and faster. The rain rushed past   
her eyes. Down again, back onto the ground. All she could see was the girl.  
And then the girl stopped. Piranha skidded to a halt behind her, gasping   
in air, and the girl called, "Well done. Let's move it!"  
"You – you mean I passed?"   
"Duh, of course you did. Let's go."  
  
Piranha cursed herself. What was the matter with her? Just because she was in   
an old HQ, she seemed to be taking too many trips down Memory Lane.   
Anyway, she knew how that story had ended. Kell had taken her back   
here, to this HQ, and she'd met the leader, Jay, who'd tested her as well…and   
then she'd been given the uniform, and been a Love Shocker. And then –   
Piranha swallowed back nausea. She wasn't going to remember the accident.   
Jay had been shot down by a chopper some time before Piranha left.   
But Kell hadn't been leader then. It had been another Love Shocker, called   
Alex. But then Piranha had quit, and now Kell was leader. She wondered what   
had happened to Alex.  
Anyway, enough of that. A plan. Piranha thought. Did the GGs know   
what had happened? Piranha was willing to bet that they did. After all, Kell   
would love to worry them, and Cube might be gonna act as bait…  
Piranha shivered. What was Kell planning now she'd got her hands on   
Cube?   
Use your imagination, she thought. Then wished she hadn't.   
It was pitch black outside. Piranha glanced down at the skating Love   
Shockers, and dragged the knife out of her belt. If she rushed down…  
No.  
Her hands were damp. She was stuck here, doing nothing, and she   
couldn't help any of the others.   
The knife slipping out of her fingers was not part of the plan.  
She watched in horror as it struck the concrete floor, the clatter echoing   
over the room. And the Love Shockers heard it.  
"Don't tell me there's another of them up there," someone said.  
Piranha ran. But she'd seen what happened to Cube. Chasing round the   
balcony was useless.   
There was a door on her left, bolted shut. She wrenched at the bolt, until   
finally it shot across with a clatter. The door swung open, and she dashed   
inside and pulled it shut again.  
It was too dark to see anything except a thin sliver of night coming from   
the boarded up window. Piranha leant against the door and tried to think   
inconspicious thoughts. Could she hear footsteps behind her…  
"Don't panic," she whispered to herself.  
She nearly had a heart attack as a voice came out of the darkness. "I   
won't if you won't, honey."  
  
Mew watched the Noise Tank as he fine-tuned the speakers.   
He said, "You're from Benten, aren't you?"  
"Yeah. How d'you know?"  
"I saw you skating. Why'd you leave?"  
Mew shrugged. "This and that."  
"Hey, that's all I get?"  
She looked up at him. "All right, I admit it. I used to be a Noise Tank,   
but I sucked at it."  
"I don't remember you."  
"I don't remember you, either. I guess it was before your time. After I   
accidentally short-circuited our power supply instead of the city's and then sent   
out a full-wave rectification signal that practically led the cops to us, I figured   
it was time to move on."  
He laughed. "I've seen you skate. You're good at that."  
She grinned. "Thanks. What was really embarrassing was the other   
girls were all really good at the electricity thing. They made fun of me. The   
guys just patronised me and always sent me out to tag."  
"I'm sorry. I wouldn't have done…I don't think." He looked down at   
her, then glanced back to the speakers. "I hope your friends are okay."  
"Me too."  
  
Cube watched Kell like a mouse watching a cat. The Love Shocker had an   
extremely nasty smile on her face.  
Cube could feel the tears on her skin drying in the warmth of the office.   
She remembered clicking off the tape recorder even as she'd cried out. She   
was glad she had. She wouldn't have wanted the GGs to hear what had   
happened. At the thought of it she shivered. She felt bruised all over, and her   
head ached from holding back memories of the last few minutes.  
"I reckon your friends will have left to find you now," Kell said. "But   
they'll have left someone back at the garage. I think it's time to put paid to that   
someone."  
She began to dial a number.  
  
"Are you okay now?" the Noise Tank asked her. "Your face and all?"  
Mew felt the rough raised skin of the scar under her fingers. "Yeah. I   
did thank you, didn't I?"  
"Yeah. But you didn't need to. I would've done it for anyone."  
  
"Hello?" Kell was almost breaking into song, she looked so happy.   
"Hi, it's me. This is a tip off."  
  
"It's so quiet out there without Onishima," Mew said.   
"Don't tell me you miss him."  
  
"The garage is on the corner of Lake Street, down a little cul-de-sac,"   
Kell said. "I don't know if there's anyone in there, but you may as well make   
sure."  
  
"What's that?" The Noise Tank looked up.  
"What?"  
"I thought I heard footsteps. Surely they can't be back already."  
  
Kell set down the phone. At the sight of her smirk, Cube felt herself trembling   
with rage.   
"You selling us to the cops now?" she hissed. "You low, sneaky cow."  
Kell laughed. "Fighting talk for someone who's in your position."  
"Shut up!"   
Kell laughed. "Give me a break, GG. You know you're in trouble, and   
so are they."  
  
A burst of gunfire shattered the garage window, and Mew heard the Noise   
Tank yell, "Get down!"  
She threw herself onto the floor, feeling her heartbeat pounding up her   
throat. Bullets tore over her head, and she heard the sound system explode   
behind her.  
"COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP…" someone blared through a   
microphone. "I REPEAT, COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP, AND   
YOU WILL NOT BE HARMED."  
"What? What?" Onishima was yelling. "Whaddya mean, we won't   
harm'em? They're rudies!"  
"Look, just leave it to me, okay?" the other cop said. "YOU HAVE   
TEN SECONDS…"  
Mew glanced over at the Noise Tank. He shook his head. "If we go out   
there," he whispered, "we'll end up back in jail. I ain't crazy about that one   
bit."  
Mew nodded. She tried to catch her breath, and waited for the silence to   
be broken.   
Five seconds later, it was.  
The street map was gutted across the centre, and the car had its windows   
blown out like hail. Mew felt tiny shards of glass land on her, and wished she   
could melt into the floor. The Noise Tank gripped her hand. More bullets   
ended the life of the pinball machine. Mew wondered how Slate would react   
when he knew.  
"We've got to get out of here," the Noise Tank whispered. "Any   
windowless rooms around?"  
Mew nodded. "Over there!" She pointed to the room both Gum and   
Piranha had been shedding tears in lately.  
They wriggled across the floor, bullets ricocheting off the walls behind   
them. The Noise Tank reached the door, shoved it open, and crawled inside.   
Mew made to follow, when she remembered Potts. She stopped, looked   
around for him –   
– a bullet hit her leg.   
Mew watched the red seeping through her tights, and froze. She   
couldn't move. The shooting was drowned out by the ringing in her ears.   
She felt hands under her arms, and realised the Noise Tank was   
dragging her into the room. Once she was inside, he banged the door shut and   
shoved a chair in front of it, then said, "Why the hell did you stop?"  
"I was looking for Potts…" Mew whispered. Her head ached, and she   
could feel sweat breaking out on her face.  
"He's here." The Noise Tank pointed to Potts, who was crouching in a   
corner, growling. "I think he remembers me." He stretched out a hand to   
Potts, who snapped at it. "See?"  
Mew tried to force a grin, but she was feeling worse every second. "I   
think I'm gonna be – "  
She dragged herself towards the bathroom as fast as she could, and just   
made it in time. As she threw up, she felt the Noise Tank holding back her hair   
away from her face. When she'd finished, he filled her a glass of water.  
"Thanks." Mew took deep breaths. "Are they still shooting?"  
"Think so. I wonder how strong the walls are."  
"They'll come in – sooner or later, won't they?"  
"I guess so." The Noise Tank sighed. "There's nothing we can do."  
  
Piranha could feel her heart bouncing off her ribs like a pinball. Her throat had   
suddenly gone painfully dry.   
"Who is it?" she whispered.  
"You're not a Love Shocker, are you?"  
"No." Trying to pass herself off as one wouldn't work for very long.  
"Then I can tell you. My name's Alex."  
"Alex? What – you mean – former leader?"  
"Oh, so you are a Love Shocker?"  
"No, I was. I'm Piranha. Don't you remember me?" Now she thought   
about it, the voice was slightly familiar.  
"Yeah, I remember a girl called Piranha. What's to say you're her?"  
"I – I am her – I left, to join the GGs, remember? How else d'you think   
I found my way in here? I came to find my friend…" Piranha stopped. "How   
do I know you're you, anyway?"  
"Maybe you should open the shutters," the voice said.   
Piranha walked gingerly through the darkness towards the slit of night.   
Putting out a hand, she touched wooden boards.   
"They're nailed up there. But I think they're pretty rusty."  
Piranha managed to locate the edge of the board, gripped it, and pulled.  
There was a crunch, and she fell backwards, clutching part of a rotting   
piece of wood in her hand, dust and splinters spilling over her. Coughing, she   
looked around.  
Her actions had let in only dim light, that chased shadows over her face   
and over the objects in the room. She looked around, and gasped.  
Lying on a mattress in the corner was a Love Shocker. Piranha   
recognised her as Alex, but horror was creeping over her at how much the girl   
had changed.  
Alex was emaciated. Her eyes lay back in her skull. The pink dye and   
spikes of her hair had almost grown out, and lank, red hair tipped with the pink   
reached to her shoulders. She still wore her Love Shocker clothes, but they   
were crumpled and dirty, and her feet were bare.  
"What's happened to you?" Piranha said.  
"Kell happened to me. You must've figured she don't like people   
hanging around who might win over her."  
"But why didn't she tag you ten times then?"  
"Duh! Firstly, I'd still be around, ready to get revenge, and secondly it's   
more fun this way…" She coughed. "Look." She held up an arm. It was   
pockmarked with scars. "Amazing what you can do with a few matches."  
"You are joking."  
Alex shook her head, a slight grin on her face. "Anyway, what are you   
doing here?"  
Piranha explained all that had happened to them, as she listened to   
running footsteps outside the room. She remembered that she hadn't rebolted   
the door. Would they notice it?  
Alex sighed. "I don't give much for your friend's chances. Did she   
deliberately set out to get Kell mad?"  
"Well, I guess the others will come, and we can do something…"   
Piranha tried not to look at Alex's scars. "Any tips?"  
The other girl grinned. "You're asking me? You could try tagging her   
ten times. That'd be a sight for sore eyes."   
"I wish. You wanna come with me – I mean – now?"  
Alex shook her head. "Can't." She held up a wrist, and Piranha saw   
she'd been cuffed to the heating pipe running down the wall.  
"But you can't stay here!"  
"It's not as bad as you'd think. I can keep smiling. The day she stops   
me doing that I'll starve myself. Which won't be too difficult on the rations   
she gives me."  
"But –"  
Alex saw her looking at the scars, and rolled her eyes. "Piranha, I'm   
used to that. You forget exactly what pain's like after it's happened, and   
grinning and bearing it isn't that hard. Now listen. I think I know where Kell   
has her 'office,' and I just remembered a little secret only the leaders get to   
hear about."  
"What?"  
"There's a secret corridor down into that office. Door's blocked by a   
cupboard but Jay cut the back through so you can get through it. If you take   
the second door along from this room, you should get to it."  
"How come Kell doesn't know about this?"  
"I was leader before her, and I ain't talking. Entrance is behind another   
cupboard. Jay told me – I was always gonna be the next leader, you see."  
"Do any of the other Love Shockers know you're here?"  
"Are you kidding? They may be vicious, but they got loyalty. Kell's   
raving. I have to say I'm just glad San isn't leader. It's not a nice job."  
"San?"  
"My sister." Alex sighed. "She ran away to follow me. I quit home,   
then later she did too. I was furious with her. But she wouldn't go. Is she   
okay?"  
She looked up at Piranha, her eyes concerned. "Silly little kid. Well,   
what's she like now? Have you met her since you quit?"  
Piranha looked down at her, and remembered a dead face and a bloody   
throat.   
"Alex – I – I'm sorry. She's dead."  
Alex's face only cracked for a moment, then the half-grin was back in   
place. She sighed. "Oh, well…thanks for telling me. How did it happen?   
Onishima? Or did she fall?"  
Piranha could see the girl's hand clenched on the heating pipe.  
"Kell killed her," she said.  
Alex's eyes darkened. "I see. Well, you'd better go."  
"Alex –"  
"Go, okay? The best you can do for me is get her." She smiled   
painfully. "Don't worry. And rebolt the door. Wouldn't want Kell to notice   
it."  
Piranha walked towards the door. She couldn't hear the running   
footsteps any more. Taking a deep breath, she slipped round the door.  
The Love Shockers were back on the ground. Piranha rebolted the door,   
and headed to the room two doors along.  
She opened the door. The handle was very dusty.   
She stepped into what must have once been an office. Furniture, damp   
and mildewed, was piled up on one side. But there was a large cupboard on her   
left. She dragged it away, muscles complaining, to reveal a large hole that had   
been knocked into the adjacent wall.  
Piranha gingerly stepped towards it, dodging a dead light fitting. It   
seemed to be the beginning of a tunnel. The air in it was clammy and cold.   
Hanging on the back of the cupboard was a torch. She picked it up,   
switched it on, and shining it along the tunnel into the darkness, she set off.  
  
Mew heard the sound of breaking glass, and glanced at the Noise Tank.   
"Right," he said. He'd bandaged her leg with a sheet from the bed,   
which was slowly turning crimson. "Can you walk?"  
"I can try."   
"Okay. Is that car you got still working?"  
"I guess. Unless they shot the tyres out."  
"Hey, Mew baby, you wanna go for a little drive with me?" He put an   
arm round her shoulders. "Okay. Let's get moving."  
Five seconds later Onishima burst through the door waving a gun and   
shouting, "Gotcha – huh?"  
He stepped further in to check the bathroom. "Come on out, rudies, I   
know you're in here!"  
Mew and the Noise Tank dodged out from behind the door, and ran for   
the car.  
The Noise Tank threw open the door, swept glass off the seats, jumped   
into the driver's seat, dragged Mew in beside him, and revved up the engine.   
The car screeched round 180 degrees, and then charged towards the door.  
"Watch out!" Mew yelled as it loomed up in front of them.  
"What?"  
There was a crash, and they burst through the door, across the street,   
turned in the doorway of a house and tore off down the road. The Keisatsu   
dashed out of the garage and into their cars, and set off in hot pursuit.  
"Great," Mew said, brushing glass off her lap. The sirens were wailing   
behind them. "I sure hope Yo-Yo filled up the tank before he left."  
"No worries!" The Noise Tank was positively glowing. "I'm a great   
driver!"   
Mew cringed as they avoided a lamppost. "Really?"  
"You guys ever driven this before? I ain't seen you out in it."  
"No. I don't know why we have it." Mew glanced in the shattered wing   
mirror. Through the cracks she made out their pursuers hurtling towards them,   
getting closer. "Where are we heading, anyway?"  
"Where'd you think? My kinda place, of course. Mew, you're about to   
see Benten again!"  
  
Piranha made her way down concrete steps, the torch picking out spider webs   
as she went. The ceiling was worryingly low, scraping the top of her head.   
The whole place smelt old. And she was really having to work on ignoring the   
thought that said 'Suppose there's a Love Shocker creeping up behind you with   
a knife right now…"  
Finally she reached the end of the passage. Her way was blocked by a   
wooden door. Beyond it she could hear voices.  
Carefully, she slid the door back into the wall, where a groove had been   
cut to accommodate it, praying that she wasn't giving away her position.   
In front of her was what was unmistakeably a cupboard. She stepped   
into it, and leant against the door.   
The voices were louder now.  
"Okay," Cube was saying. "So you cut me. So you burnt me. So you –   
well, it's not rape, I guess, but whatever you did then to me. Now what?   
Beheading?"  
She sounded tired, and angry, and miserable, but she was alive, and she   
was talking. Two good signs, Piranha thought.  
"Oh, don't tempt me." Kell's voice was maliciously satisfied.   
"Revenge is sweet. Very sweet. Talk about power now – mom had nothing on   
me."  
"Power?" Cube said.  
"What else do you think I've got?"  
"You think you've got power?" The scorn hummed in Piranha's ears.   
"Like you've got anything! You're head of the most cheap, two-bit gang in   
Tokyo-to. You've sold yourself to a cop. And so you got me – so what? You   
can't make me respect you. You're pathetic!"  
Piranha waited in horror for Kell's reaction.   
"My gang is not cheap," the Love Shocker snarled. "Because soon you   
GGs are gonna be out of business, and then we'll be the ones in Shibuya-cho.   
They're coming right now, and I'm gonna kill them, and if there are any left   
I'll send them off to jail. And you can't do anything to stop me."  
"You still won't get respect. Your gang despises you. We despise you.   
The Noise Tanks despise you. And I don't reckon Onishima thinks too highly   
of you either. You're just another warped Kogane kid, and that's all you'll   
ever be."  
Piranha caught her breath. Ouch, she thought. This is getting nasty. All   
right, nastier. Maybe I should do something – but no. I don't wanna get   
caught myself.  
"Shut up, Goth."  
"That's hardly an insult. At least I don't go around whining 'cos my   
guy left me."  
"Guy? Ha! I didn't join for that."  
"Then why did you? So you could screw your taggers?"  
"I joined so I wouldn't have to work with any guys. I hate them.   
They're so stupid, always shoving around, taking what they want, throwing   
stuff, shouting. Girls are better. Girls have power…"  
"You're obsessed with power." Cube's voice was stronger. Piranha   
silently willed her to keep fighting.  
"And why not? It's a good thing to have, right? You don't have it. I   
saw you, sticking your tongue down that big-nosed freak's throat…he's got   
you on a string, all he has to do is pull."  
"That's not true." Cube's voice was hard. "You don't know anything   
about guys."  
"Oh, I think I do. My mom had them every night. They used to come   
home and do me after they did her. We talked…we knew there was never any   
point in them. I hate them. I hate them. I hate them all."  
Piranha tried not to breathe too loudly. There was a black silence on the   
other side of the door.   
Then she heard footsteps, and another voice said, "Kell, I think the rest   
of the GGs are coming."  
"Great!" Kell's voice rose back to normal. "Well, let's roll, Cube. Or   
rather, I will. Your gang ain't gonna be doing much after tonight."  
  
(Don't forget to r+r!)  



	10. Final Fight

Chapter 10 – Final Fight  
  
(Penultimate chapter, people! Glad you've enjoyed it so far. Thanx 4   
reviewing before – please do so again!)  
  
Piranha waited.   
"Right," Kell said. "I'll come help you set up. See you later, Cube.   
Onishima ain't getting his hands on you. You're staying here."  
"Oh, still my beating heart," Cube snapped.  
The door opened and shut, and Piranha heard Cube sigh.  
Carefully, she opened the cupboard door, and stepped out, praying no   
one was watching them.  
"You okay?" she whispered to Cube, who had gone pale.  
"How – how did you –"  
"I'll explain later." Piranha dashed round to the heating pipe and began   
untying Cube's wrists from it, glancing at the other girl as she did so. Cube's   
eyes were red, there were cuts on her face and several burn marks on her neck   
and arms, but she seemed unharmed apart from that.  
"Quick." She led Cube across to the cupboard. "Get in."  
"Huh?"  
"Push the back. There's a secret passage. Hurry!"  
She stepped in after Cube, carefully closing the cupboard door behind   
her, and then they set off up the stairs again.  
Cube giggled as they walked. "I can't wait to see Kell's face."  
"Hey, cool it. We're not out of the woods yet."  
They reached the exit, wriggled out of the passage, and then crept back   
onto the balcony. Below them the hall seemed empty.  
"What's she planning?" Piranha mouthed.   
Cube shrugged.  
They waited.  
Then the main door opened, and Beat crept in. He looked quickly   
around, then nodded, and the other GGs followed him. All except Mew.   
Piranha wondered where she was, but she didn't dare break the silence.  
The GGs had reached the middle of the floor. They were looking round   
whispering among themselves.   
"Should we go down there?" Cube mouthed. Piranha shook her head.   
Where were all the Love Shockers?   
"I don't like it," she whispered. "It's too quiet…"  
The shadows on the concrete floor were moving.  
And then someone yelled, "Lights!"  
Far up in the darkness that was the ceiling, white industrial bulbs fizzed   
into life.   
"Camera!"  
Kell's voice.  
The shadows had retreated into the corners. Beat and the other GGs   
stood in a cluster like reluctant actors on an empty stage. Piranha squinted at   
the darkness in the corners of the floor. Where there figures standing down   
there?…  
"Come out and show yourselves, you bunch of whores!" Gum yelled up   
at the dark balconies.   
"Gladly! Action!"  
There was a puff of pink smoke from above them, and the Love   
Shockers – five of them – leapt from the highest balcony, flipped over, and   
landed neatly on their feet in front of the GGs. (One girl landed on her butt,   
but we'll ignore that.)  
Kell and Beat stood facing each other, she with hands on her hips and   
smug smile, he with arms folded and a glare on his face.  
"What do you want, GG?"  
"Give us back our gang member."  
"Why should I?"  
"Because if you don't…" Beat began shaking his spray can. "You'll be   
the one derudiefied around here."  
"Oh, really."  
Yes, there were definitely figures, waiting in the corners. But Piranha   
was pretty sure all the Love Shockers were out in the open. Who could it be?  
"Go on," Beat said. "Where's Cube?"  
"Maybe you should ask him that," Kell said, gesturing to a corner. At   
the same time another Love Shocker skated over and flicked on more lights.  
Onishima, plus what looked like all the Keisatsu in Tokyo-to, was   
standing there. And the smile on his face made that on Kell's look half-hearted   
and gloomy.  
"You sneak!" Gum yelled. "You cow! You traitor! You –"  
Kell laughed. "What's your problem, GG? Can't handle a little healthy   
competition?"  
"You made a deal with him?" Beat said. "How'd you do it? Bribery?"  
"You could say that," Kell said, and grinned at Onishima, who glared at   
her. "Anyway…any last words, GGs? I heard Cube's. They weren't exactly   
eloquent."  
Piranha saw Slate go pale, and heard a crash as Combo dropped his   
ghetto-blaster.   
"No? Oh, well, then." She surveyed her troops, and then called,   
"Attack!"  
  
Mew sat in Noise Tank HQ, trying to ignore the whispering behind her as the   
other Noise Tanks worked.  
"Anything on the radio yet?" she called.  
Her Noise Tank shook his head. "Not yet."  
Mew sighed, and clicked on her own radio. 'Recipe For The Perfect   
Afro' was playing, and she longed to turn it up louder, to drown out the voices   
she could hear.   
But it was no good.   
"Such a bimbo…listen to that voice! Did you hear what she did…I was   
there…she was such a pathetic Noise Tank it's unbelievable…"  
Shut up, Mew thought. Just shut up and leave me alone. She bit down   
on her lower lip, remembering how she'd once yelled that at her parents.  
"Okay, I've done it!" her Noise Tank shouted. He'd taken off his mask,   
and Mew had been surprised to realise he was quite good looking.  
"Done what, Gamma?" someone replied.  
"I've managed to hack into your friend's wrist recorder," he said,   
addressing Mew. "Listen up…"  
There was a hiss of static, and then they heard someone whispering, "I   
don't like it. It's too quiet."  
Mew recognised Piranha's voice.   
Hiss for a second, then "Lights!"  
"Huh?" a Noise Tank said. "Making a movie?"  
"Ssh," said Gamma.  
"Camera!"  
Mew heard Gum shout, "…and show yourselves, you bunch of whores!"  
"Gladly!" It was the voice of the Love Shocker who'd tried to scar her.   
Mew shuddered. "Action!"  
They heard the sound of skates clacking onto concrete.  
"I've got to get there!" Mew gasped, getting to her feet. "I've gotta help   
them!"  
"Why? You can't do anything," someone said nastily.  
"Well, I can try." And I wouldn't stay here anyway, she added silently.  
"I'll come too," Gamma said. He looked round the rest of the Noise   
Tanks. "Come on, guys. You may hate the GGs, but the Love Shockers have   
gone too far this time!"  
"No way," said a Noise Tank. "No point."  
"Fine," Gamma snapped. "I'll go alone." He took Mew's hand and led   
her to the door. "Cowards."  
Outside the air was icy and the Benten-cho traffic growled above them.   
"I'm sorry," Mew said. "I guess I should go alone."  
"No way. I've seen you puke, get shot in the leg and shriek at my   
driving. We're bonded now."  
Mew laughed. "Prove it."  
He leaned forward and kissed her. Mew felt heat rise up inside her, and   
closed her eyes.  
"Okay," she said at last. "You proved it."  
"Great. Now let's go."  
(A/N – NoiseTank13, I did like Beta and Mew's relationship and considered   
putting him in here but I decided that they have too much of a history for me to   
incorporate him into this fic, so I made up a new Noise Tank. Hope you don't   
mind!)  
  
Cube watched in horror as each Love Shocker raised a gleaming knife in one   
hand, and a paint can in the other. The cops hefted their truncheons, and   
Onishima whirled his gun around his head and laughed.  
How could she have slept with him? Cube wondered.   
And then she realised what to do.  
"Hey, everyone! Listen up!" she shouted, rushing to the edge of the   
balcony.   
Kell glanced up, and her mouth fell open. "You – how the hell did you   
do that?"  
"I've got news for you Love Shockers! And the cops as well!" Cube   
heard her voice echoing into the depths of the hall. "Do you know the reason   
why Kell's got Onishima on her side?"  
She saw Onishima stop, glancing at Kell in fury. The Love Shocker   
leader's eyes narrowed.  
"She slept with him and then used it to blackmail him so that he'd help   
her destroy the GGs! Love Shockers, your leader's a cop-lover! And Keisatsu,   
he was stupid enough to let her in the first place!"  
"She's lying!" Kell and Onishima both said.   
"No, she's not!" Beat yelled. "I heard the entire conversation you two   
had. Cube transmitted it to us!"  
"That is gross," whispered Piranha.  
"Come on, Love Shockers, why are you supporting her? Remember   
San!" Cube clenched her fists, willing them to listen. "Remember how Kell   
threatened you in the bus terminal? And now she could sell you all out if she   
wanted, and she will one day! She loves power, you must know that! And   
she's got it over all of you!"  
"And remember Alex?" Piranha suddenly shouted. "Ever wondered   
what happened to your old leader?"  
Kell looked up at them both, her features contorted into hate.   
"Yeah…what did happen to Alex?" a Love Shocker said. "Kell, you   
told us she got caught by the cops…"  
"She's in this building! Kell's got her locked in an old office!   
Sometimes when she's feeling bored, she'll go mutilate her a bit!"  
The Love Shockers were looking at Kell in disgust, moving away from   
her.  
"Why are you listening to them?" Kell shouted. "Two dumb   
GGs…they're lying, and even if they weren't, so what? I was trying to help   
you! I was trying to get them –" she pointed to the GGs – "out of the way.   
And so was he!"   
She indicated Onishima, who shouted back at her, "Don't bring me into   
it! All I wanted to do was catch a few rudies, okay?"  
"You know, we're gonna have to work on the difference between 'catch   
a rudie,' and 'fuck a rudie,'" muttered a cop.   
"Oh, shut up!" Onishima fired his gun into the air. "Anyway, what are   
we waiting for? Nab'em all!"  
"Yeah, come on, girls!" Kell appealed to her gang.  
There was silence from both groups, and then finally a Love Shocker   
threw down her knife and paint and said, "Give it a break, Kell. I'm not gonna   
smush the GGs now. At least they're not cheating."  
"Yeah," said another one. "Sorry, but you are so low."  
All the Love Shockers threw down their weapons, and walked away.  
Kell growled. Cube heard it echo round the hall and shivered. Then,   
quick as a snake, she stabbed out at Beat, who dropped back, then she leapt,   
and ground along the first balcony rail.  
Gum screamed, and Cube saw her face was dead-white. She dropped   
down next to Beat. The other GGs clustered around him, but he got up, blood   
dripping from the cut on his face, and said, "I'm fine. Let's get her!"  
They did so. But Kell already had a head start. Laughing, she reached   
the next set of stairs, and skidded up the banister. Now she was on the same   
level as Piranha and Cube.  
"Right," Piranha murmured, shaking her own can of spray paint. "It's   
payback time."  
Cube wished she had some paint with her, but no luck. As Kell shot   
past them, Piranha's arm flew out and tagged her back.   
Kell stopped, jumped off the rail, and turned to face the two girls. Cube   
felt fear creeping up her throat. She felt Piranha grip her arm.  
"You'll pay for that," Kell said, her voice deadly.   
"Oh, I'm so frightened." Piranha's voice was steady, though her fingers   
dug into Cube's skin. "Don't bother. I know you, and Cube's right. You are   
just a warped Kogane kid."  
Below them the other GGs stopped. The cops were looking up,   
listening.   
Cube saw Kell's eyes click to her, and then the Love Shocker hissed,   
"What's the matter, GG? Scared?"  
"I'm not scared of you," Cube said, wishing she could believe it.   
"Well, you should be." Kell dragged out her own knife. "You can't   
even skate."  
Cube watched as Kell came towards her, and remembered hands,   
touching her body, scratching, stroking…  
"GET AWAY FROM ME!" she screamed, and punched Kell so hard   
her knuckles ached.  
Kell flew backwards, and landed on the ground. She got to her feet, eye   
already becoming purple, and said, "Big mistake."  
"I don't fucking care!" Cube shouted. "I have had it with you!"   
Her hands ached with anger. "You go around hurting and hitting and   
scaring people and I am sick of it! Come near me again and I'll break your   
face!"  
Kell actually looked slightly surprised. This was nothing to the look on   
her face when Yo-Yo finally reached the balcony, dashed up and tagged her.   
She whirled, sliced him across the face, leapt back onto the rail, and ground   
away.   
"Get after her!" Yo-Yo yelled, panting, rubbing blood across his face.   
"Tag her to hell! Yo! I…I think I'm gonna black out…"  
Piranha stayed to look after him, Cube ran on, feet pounding on the   
metal floor. Behind her she could feel the vibrations as the other GGs reached   
the balcony. Kell had got to the steps. Cube forced her aching legs to move   
faster, but the night had taken its toll, and she was losing speed.  
But then she saw Garam dash round towards Kell in the other direction   
– as she tried to climb the steps he threw himself forward, grabbed her round   
the waist and tagged her back. She twisted his wrist viciously and then kicked   
him away, but she'd been slowed down. Cube ran on.   
Now there were six GGs in the chase – Cube, Combo, Slate, Beat, Gum   
and Tab. They were on the top balcony. As Kell made for the door Cube and   
Piranha had come in by, Tab reached her, tagged her – she stabbed out and   
caught him in the shoulder. He dropped back, and fell to his knees.   
Kell ran through the door and slammed it behind her.   
"Damn!" Beat kicked it. "She's locked us out."  
"Like hell she has." Gum wrestled with the doorknob. Finally there   
was a crunch, and the door swung open. The GGs crept into the shadowy   
corridor.  
  
Mew stood at the bottom of the fire escape. "Right. This looks like the place."  
"How'd you find it?"  
"Piranha told us the route." Mew gripped the rusty banister. "Let's go."  
Up and up they crept. Mew's leg started to ache, and she felt queasy as   
she looked at the blood seeping through the sheet. Below them Shibuya-cho   
dwindled into a maze of lights.  
Finally they reached the door, and crept into the building. Mew looked   
around the corridor, and gasped as she spotted the GGs – well, some of them –   
clustered at the other end. They all had spray paint cans and murderous   
expressions.  
There was a large cupboard on her other side. Mew looked around,   
wondering what was going on. She walked towards it. Gamma whispered,   
"Careful…"  
Mew saw the shadow thrown onto the floor. A spiky-haired, vicious   
looking shadow. A shadow thrown by a girl who was standing right next to   
her.  
She turned as she heard a voice yell, "You need another scar?", saw the   
knife glitter as it bit into her face, and then she grabbed a paint can, dodged   
under Kell's arm, and jammed her finger down on the nozzle as hard as she   
could.   
There was a hiss of paint, and Kell snarled like a dog. Mew felt hands   
grab her shoulders, push her back against the cupboard, and then there was a   
thud, and black pain spread through her skull as her eyes closed.  
  
Gum shivered as Mew went limp. The Love Shocker dropped her on the floor,   
rubbed her hands on her shorts, and then sped on. The GGs sped after her.   
Gum noticed a Noise Tank bending over Mew, but most of her attention was   
occupied with Kell.  
The Love Shocker reached a door at the other end of the corridor,   
struggled with the handle. Combo reached her first this time, and tagged her.   
Gum grinned. How many was it now? She couldn't remember. But it was   
payback enough.   
Kell hissed at him, "Too scared to punch a lady?"  
"You ain't no lady," Combo said. He casually leaned over, holding the   
door shut.   
Kell stabbed the knife into his stomach.  
"Damn," Combo muttered as she wrenched it out again. Blood spots   
pattered onto the floor. But he kept holding the door.   
The other GGs had reached it.  
"You can't just box me in," Kell said. "It has to be a chase."  
"You didn't play fair," Slate said. "Why should we?"  
She sneered at him even as he tagged her. Gum got ready to follow suit,   
but then Combo dropped to his knees, let go of the door – and Kell dashed out   
of it.  
"Get after her!" Slate yelled. "I'll take care of him."  
Cube looked back, but only for a second, then hurried out onto the roof.  
Outside it was cold, and the wind whipped at Gum's face as she stepped   
onto the roof. Far below she could see the silent roofs of Shibuya-cho. It   
seemed a long way down.  
Kell stood there, on top of the flat concrete roof, a smile on her face.  
"Come on, GGs," she called. "I already put seven of you out of action.   
I can deal with you three."  
"Like hell you can!" shouted Gum.  
"You can't tag me," Kell taunted her. "You shouldn't be wearing those   
skates. You're an ex-rudie. How pitiful is that?"  
Gum charged forward, clutching the paint can so hard her knuckles   
ached. She grabbed Kell's shirt, and growled, "Give me one good reason why   
I shouldn't break your face."  
"Don't bother. You're not a rudie. Even if you tagged me twenty times   
it wouldn't make any difference."  
Gum's mouth dropped open. "You sneaky little –"  
"Temper, temper," Kell purred.   
"Uh-oh," Beat muttered to Cube. "She shouldn't have said that…"   
They were both keeping back.  
"FUCK YOU!" Gum screamed, rage building behind her eyes. She   
drew back her free hand and punched Kell in the face. The Love Shocker was   
knocked back, her nose bleeding, but then she brought up the hand holding the   
knife, and stabbed out. Gum took it half on her paint can, half on her arm. She   
let go of Kell, and the two rudies circled each other like enemy alley cats.  
"Come on," Kell taunted. "You scared?"  
"Of a Love Shocker? In your dreams!" Gum shook the can, hardly   
noticing the blood soaking into her sleeve. "You see this can? I'm gonna   
break your skull with it!"  
"I'm so scared." Kell stood, arms folded. "Whatever you do to me you   
still won't be a rudie."  
"I don't care. I don't have to be a rudie to kill you."  
"No more skating," Kell said, stepping carefully to the edge of the roof.   
"No more tagging. No more Jet Set Radio."  
"I can do all that stuff now."  
"Yeah, because you're screwing the leader. We all know you're not a   
rudie really."  
"At least I didn't screw Onishima! No rudie does that!"  
"It worked, didn't it? The trouble with you GGs is you're weak."  
"Yeah, right."  
"You are! Everyone knows it. And you're the weakest of all. Strutting   
around in a mini skirt thinking you're as good as the guys." She snorted. "Oh,   
please."  
Gum charged towards, hardly able to breathe for rage. But even as she   
tried to grab Kell, the Love Shocker sidestepped –   
And Gum felt herself begin to fall.  
  
Beat threw himself forward. "Nooooo!"  
Gum fell.  
As he passed Kell, he tagged her twice, and yelled, "One for me and one   
for her!"  
Then he jumped onto the fire escape a few metres away, and skimmed   
down the banisters.   
Cube realised that she was the only one left, and her heart began to thud   
in her ears.  
"Well, looks like it's just you and me," Kell said, coming towards her.   
"And I do believe you've got the last chance left to tag me. Just so you realise   
what's at stake, if you fail I'll kill you. Then I will go back down and find your   
friends. I will kill them too. The GGs will be kaput, and it'll be all your fault."  
Cube's fingers tightened on the spray paint can Beat had given her, but   
she couldn't think. Her brain was frozen with fear. How could she tag Kell?   
She didn't even have skates.  
And Kell had the knife. Cube bit back fear.  
Kell began skating around her, closer and closer. Cube's neck tingled so   
much that it ached. She felt her breathing speed up. Soon she'd start choking   
and then Kell would get her and then – oh, god, what was she gonna do?  
Fight.   
As she felt the Love Shocker's hands brush down her back, the fury   
came back, and she whirled, sprayed out – Kell dodged, laughing, as the paint   
speckled her arm.   
"Have to do better than that!" she called.   
The wind grabbed handfuls of Cube's hair. She felt her blood tapping   
out a battle beat. She watched Kell move, watched her circle closer again.   
Watched the knife.  
And then, as Kell's arm flew out, the knife catching what little light   
there was, Cube grabbed her wrist, bent it back, twisted it, wrenched at Kell's   
fingers, tore them from the handle of the knife, ignoring Kell's other hand   
scratching, punching, concentrating on nothing but that knife…  
She had it.  
Kell stumbled away, gripping her own wrist, covering the finger marks   
Cube had left on it. She said nothing.   
The knife was warm in Cube's hand as she walked towards her enemy.  
"You wouldn't," Kell said. "And you can't. I'm too fast for you."  
Cube didn't answer. Insults seemed unimportant now. She had the   
knife and she was going to kill.  
She carried on walking.  
Kell was surreptitiously looking around for a way of escape. Cube   
considered the possibility. But the rooftop was basically a large concrete   
square, with both the fire escape and the door into the building behind Cube.   
She carried on walking.  
Kell actually looked a little scared now. "You won't do it," she said.   
"You're weak – you can't –"  
"I'm not weak," Cube said. "And I can."  
Kell stopped backing away. She stood, waiting.  
Cube reached her, and then Kell slapped her round the face.   
Cube only lost strength for a second, but that was enough. Kell pushed   
her backwards, her head struck the ground, and dizzily she felt Kell's hands   
struggling to get the knife back. Cube clung on, fighting not to lose   
consciousness, feeling Kell's long nails digging into her hands, ripping through   
her skin.   
Kell twisted her wrist like she'd done a minute ago. The pain was   
vicious but she tried to ignore it. They were rolling over and over, the gritty   
roof scratching her back, the view twisting and dodging in front of her eyes,   
she tried to get the Love Shocker away from her, she was too close, hands   
gripping her shoulders, oh god, get off, get away from me, stop it, stop it   
please…  
Suddenly the edge of the roof slammed into her shoulders. She   
tentatively moved her head back, and her heart jumped as she realised there   
was nothing between it and the ground but air.   
Kell was on top of her, hands on her shoulders. And she had the knife.   
Silently Cube began to curse herself, and Kell, and everything that had   
got her into this situation.  
"I am sick of you," Kell snarled. Cube felt angry fingers pushing her   
head back, felt her hair hanging down, saw skyscrapers upside down at the   
edge of her vision. Her eyeballs ached as the blood rushed into them.  
Cube saw the knife lashing down towards her throat, and remembered   
the spray paint can in her other hand – raised her arm – stabbed down on the   
button – she smelt the paint as it spattered Kell's back.  
The Love Shocker's face went pale. But not with fear. With fury. For   
a moment she froze.  
Then, "You bitch," she hissed, and stabbed down.  
Cube threw an arm across her throat just in time, and the knife sliced   
down it. She felt a few specks of blood flick onto her face. Desperately she   
tried to push Kell off her, tried to get back up, but Kell punched her. It   
knocked her dizzy, but the punch had dislodged the knife, which fell. Off the   
roof.  
Good thing, Cube thought. "Hope it didn't hit anyone," she said, feeling   
blood well up around her tongue. Her teeth felt looser than normal.  
Kell didn't even bother replying. Her visible eye was narrowed and   
burning with rage. Cube wondered if Kell had any ancestors who might have   
been sabre-tooth tigers. Her own primal instincts were giving out a clear   
message: Run.  
And then Kell's hands closed around her throat.  
Cube struggled to get her off, feeling the blood bulging in her face. Her   
lungs were frantically trying to take in air, but it was useless. The night sky   
was darkening. She was trapped. And she was dying.  
  
Beat screeched down the fire escape, his mind numb. All he could think of was   
Get Gum. But he had to be too late. She'd be smushed by now. He   
shuddered. No. This couldn't have happened.  
"Gum!" he shouted. "Answer, why can't you? Are you okay?"  
His voice echoed out into the darkness. There was no reply.  
"Gum!" he yelled again.  
Still nothing.  
Beat felt his stomach lurch. If she was dead – if she was dead –   
He looked down at the city rushing past him. A quick jump would be   
very easy. Why not? It wasn't like he'd got much.  
"Gum!" he shouted for the last time.  
And a voice called up from below him, "Beat?"  
He looked around. There was still a few storeys left to go. Where was   
she?  
"Down here…" She sounded tired.  
Beat leapt off the rail, onto the fire escape, and looked over.  
Gum was clinging to the edge of a smashed window.  
"Are you okay?" he gasped, running down to her.  
"I – I've got glass cutting into me," she said. "And I think I've hurt my   
arm – when I grabbed onto this – but aside from that, I'm fine."  
Beat reached out to her. His fingers brushed her arm, but he couldn't   
grip onto her properly.  
"Can you move along a bit?" he said.  
"I'll try."  
Carefully she inched along. Beat tried not to look down. His hands   
were clammy. One slip…  
Now he could grab her. She reached out for the banister of the fire   
escape. He gripped onto her arms. He saw her hands were crisscrossed with   
blood, and she was gritting her teeth.   
"Come on…" he whispered.   
And now he was grabbing her round the waist, dragging her up, over the   
fire escape, and then they both dropped onto the metal floor, and they hugged   
for some time.  
"We'd better get back up there," Gum said. "Cube and Kell…"  
Beat nodded, not entirely enthusiastic. "Let's go."  
They dashed up the stairs as fast as they could, skates clattering on the   
metal. Finally they got there.   
Kell was kneeling on top of Cube, and she was strangling her.  
"Shit!" Gum dashed across before Beat could stop her, grabbed Kell's   
shoulders, and tried to drag her off. Kell let go of Cube for an instant, turned   
and punched Gum in the stomach.  
Beat rushed over himself and grabbed Kell's wrists, dragging her off   
Cube. The Love Shocker was struggling, clawing, and he was having difficulty   
holding on.  
He saw fresh paint glistening on Kell's back. He shouted, "Too fast for   
you, was she?"  
"Get off me!" Kell screamed. "Get off me now!"  
Her eyes were wide, blazing…terrified?  
Beat held on. Her wristbones cut into his palms. He shouted, "I knew   
you'd never beat us!" His words echoed up into the sky. Now he was no   
longer just taunting her, he was really angry, letting out the frustration he'd   
been feeling for so long. "Just another Love Shocker, that's all you are! A   
bitch! A slut! A dumb kid!"  
Kell screamed, "Shut up!" She was crying, mascara wriggling down her   
cheeks like black worms. "Please – please – I didn't – you did it – leave me   
alone –" She gulped air. "Please let go of me! Please!"  
Beat, more than a little freaked out, did so. She stumbled back,   
trembling. Looked round at them all. She blinked a little, and said, voice   
shaking, "I'm sorry…"  
They looked at her. She didn't seem to be focusing so much on them.   
Beat wondered what was happening to her mind.   
She clawed at herself, shuddering, lips trembling. They stayed back.   
"I'm sorry…" she sobbed again. "I didn't mean to…it wasn't my   
fault…"  
"Whose was it, then?"  
Cube's voice rang out in the small-hour air. Beat looked at her. She   
was pale, her fists were clenched…she looked sickened, and angrier than he'd   
ever seen her before.  
"They started it!" Kell wailed. "It hurt…it always hurts…"  
"You're damn right it always hurts." Cube was trembling. "You know   
what you did to me. I hate you. I hate you. I wish you were dead."  
Immature words, but there was venom behind them that you could   
almost touch.  
"You hate me?" Kell laughed, but it was weak, feeble. "That's what I   
wanted to say! But they wouldn't listen – I yelled at them – they wouldn't –"  
"Me too." Cube walked towards Kell. And Kell backed away.  
"Power," Cube spat out at her. "That's all you want. Don't worry about   
who you hurt. What you do." Beat could see her shaking, but he wasn't gonna   
go help her. He wanted to get out of there, but he couldn't leave a fellow GG.  
"I didn't mean it – I don't – I don't understand –" Kell whimpered.   
"Please don't hurt me –" Another sob stamped on the rest of the sentence.  
"I want to scratch your eyes out," Cube snarled.  
She raised her hand, ready to hit.  
A mask seemed to drop off Kell's face, leaving behind nothing but mad,   
raw terror.  
She ran, backing away –   
Her foot caught on the edge of the roof –   
Cube stopped – hand still outstretched – but whether to hit or to save   
Beat couldn't tell –   
And Kell was falling…screaming…a scream which echoed up the wall   
of the building…a scream which couldn't be stifled…a scream which went on   
and on and on…  
And then nothing.  
  
(I thought about changing this ending after some people asked to borrow her,   
but if you want her you can always say she – uh – got caught on a ledge or   
something. Use your creativity. Anyway, what did you think? R+r please!)  
  



	11. Rest In Peace

Chapter 11 – Rest In Peace  
  
(Thanks to everyone who r+red before, please repeat for this! It's just an   
epilogue but it finishes off the fic. I don't own JSR as you know by now.)  
  
One week later…  
  
The scream echoed in Cube's ears as she struggled to wake.   
Finally she forced the dream away, and sat up, her heart pounding.  
It was morning. The garage was dotted with sleeping GGs: Yo-Yo   
dozing against the battered car, Mew basking in the sunlight that wriggled   
between the boarded-up windows, Piranha curled up with Garam in the place   
where the sound system had been.  
The garage had been hurt, but it was getting back on its feet. Cube   
wasn't so sure about herself.  
There was terror. There was fury. There was disgust, hatred…pity?   
But she just wanted to forget. And it wouldn't go away.  
The Love Shockers bore no grudge against her, or any of the GGs. Alex   
had taken back her position as leader, and she had even stopped her gang   
tagging for a few days to allow the GGs to even the score a little. She'd also   
given Gum back her rudieship.  
Mew and Gamma had stuck together, despite being from different   
gangs. The Noise Tanks and GGs weren't exactly friends, but they weren't   
enemies either. And Poison Jam? Well, you can't win'em all.  
Cube got to her feet and sighed, wishing she could go back to sleep.   
Why couldn't she feel happy about anything? It was a sunny day, the birds   
were singing, the butterflies were flapping, the bees were buzzing, blah blah   
blah. Why wouldn't her brain listen to her and burn those memories?  
She wondered, idly, as she dressed, if she could have said to have killed   
Kell. She didn't totally remember what had happened – she'd been shouting –   
Kell had fallen –   
But I didn't push her, Cube thought, putting on her gloves. I didn't.   
Did I? No. I made like I was gonna hit her. And besides, she would have   
deserved it if I had killed her. She was gonna kill me.   
She shrugged, and shoved the dark thought away.  
Outside the morning air was cool, and she dashed along just enjoying   
the feeling of skating again. But as she reached the bus terminal, she realised   
she was slowing down, and she was trembling.  
Wimp, she thought. Come on. Move it. Nothing's gonna happen. No   
Love Shockers. No police. Onishima was still on the force, but he was even   
more of a laughing stock than before, and he was keeping a low profile for the   
moment. Some well-placed blackmailing had enabled him to keep away from   
the garage, despite knowing where it was.  
There was the entrance to the terminal. She took a deep breath and tried   
to move forwards.   
It was sunny. It was normal. It was safe – the walkway – she gritted her   
teeth – it was fine.   
It was no good. Her legs were shaking, and her body was refusing to   
allow her to enter the terminal.  
She bit down on her lip, clenched her fists, and fought against it.   
There. She was in. And nothing had happened.   
You think that's tough? she thought to herself. Yeah, right. Now go   
and touch that pole they tied you to.   
She skated over, almost wishing someone would call 911 and give her a   
distraction. But the terminal remained obstinately cheerful.   
She saw that the hand she touched the pole with was shaking, and   
scowled. I'm not scared, she thought. I'm not.  
She leaned against the pole, and put her hands behind her back –  
Rain cold knife blood eyes  
I'm fine.  
Laughter pain kiss punch agony  
I'm fine!  
"Ever wondered what would happen if this got stuck in your eye?"  
"No!" Cube shouted. The sunny view in front of her was blurring –   
going black – and she was cold – what was happening –   
"Cube? Cube!"   
Someone was holding her. Her head was spinning and she'd squeezed   
her eyes shut. Struggling to breathe, she felt herself being helped to sit down,   
and Slate was saying, "Come on. Breathe."  
"Help me –"  
"Breathe."  
She reluctantly took a deep breath, and opened her eyes. "Slate – it's   
you – "  
"Course it is. Nothing's gonna hurt you. What were you doing here,   
anyway?"  
"I – I was – making sure I wasn't scared."  
"Why?"  
"Well – " Why had she? She didn't know. Shivering, she leaned   
against Slate, and heard herself whisper, "She's not gonna beat me."  
"She's gone, Cube. You survived her. You're okay."  
"I'm not – I can't stop thinking about it all –"   
"That's normal. You went through a lot. You can't just lock it out   
afterwards."  
"I want to," she said fiercely.  
He was silent for a few moments, then said, "I remember stuff too."  
"Like?"  
"Like falling through that window in the Rokkaku building – like glass   
in my face – like hurting so much I thought I'd die – like hearing you'd got   
caught…" He sighed. "Like thinking you were dead."  
"But what can you do? I'm not gonna go around sobbing and wailing   
just because of…stuff."  
"Cube, she raped you!"  
Cube winced, and for a moment she couldn't speak. Finally she   
managed to stammer, "Not technically."  
"Don't give me that crap. We know what she did, and it's hurt you bad.   
Accept it, okay? Cry if you want. Be nice to yourself."  
She shoved him. "Stop psychoanalysing me."  
"You know it makes sense," Slate said smugly.   
"You're a conceited jerk." Cube felt herself smile.   
"Well, I'm a sensible conceited jerk. No one's gonna mind if you're   
gloomy. And if anyone does say anything, I'll kick their butts from here to   
Mexico."  
"I can do my own butt-kicking, thank you so very much."  
"Fine. Just don't try and hide the memories. That's much better than   
giving yourself a heart attack in the bus terminal."  
"Thank you, doctor." She stood up, and smiled. "You know, Coin, it's   
pretty nice having you back, but I'm not sure if you were worth all I had to go   
through to get you…" She put on a thoughtful expression.  
Slate's eyes narrowed. "Come here and say that to my face!"  
Cube shrieked and dashed away, Slate charging after her. He caught up,   
and spun her round, and kissed her.   
Cube wanted to enjoy it, but inside her someone was screaming.  
She pushed him away. "No. Not – not now."  
"Is holding hands okay?" Slate looked a little hurt, but not mad.  
"Yes…I think I could do that."  
"Great." He took her hand. "Let's go find a sunset to skate off into."  
  
THE END  
  
(Well, it's over. The hopes, the fears, the joys etc etc…Thanx to   
everyone who reviewed throughout the fic, you know it means a lot to me! I'm   
starting up a new fic which I'm rather nervous about so please check that   
out…and by the way, 'Cyber GGs' by Silver Star Sayain is sort of a sequel to   
this so you might want to check out the next chapter…hint, hint…)  
  



End file.
